A Clawed Friendship
by KingofShadows2019
Summary: "So, let me ask you something: are you afraid of me?"
1. Unforgiven

**The events of 'A Clawed Friendship' happen after Lionheart is arrested.**

 **So, for all you readers new to my story, I just want to let you know that writing isn't that good in chapters 1 through 12. But around fourteen is when it really begins to improve. Just wanted to let you know.**

 **Enjoy my story!**

* * *

Nick Wilde felt anger pulse through his viens as he watched Judy Hopps walked from the podium, ending her press conference; Assistant Mayor Bellwether walked by her side, congratulating Judy, with chief Bogo in tow.

Judy waved them off with some thanks and skipped toward Nick, eyes beaming.

She stopped in front of him. "Phew," she sighed, "that went by so fast! I didn't get a chance to mention you or anything we—

Nick raised a paw. "Oh, I think you said plenty."

Judy felt something within herself cower back at the honed venom in his voice. "W-what do you mean?"

"'Clearly there's a biological component… These predators may be reverting back to their primitive savage ways', are you serious?"

"I was just stating the facts of the case. I mean… It's not like a bunny could go savage." She said, forcing a smile on her lips.

The skin around Nick's nose arched. "Right, but a Fox could, huh?"

Her smile vanished.

I should stop talking, something deep within her mind breathed. But she spoke anyway. "Nick, stop it. You're not like them." There was rage burning there, in her friend's emerald. It made her want to reach for fox repellant, but she resisted.

Nick brought his face closer to Judy's. "Oh, so there's a 'them' now." He said.

Judy saw Nick's left paw, which was tucked in his pocket, and clenched in a fist. She felt her blood run cold at the sight.

By now, all the news reports and cops had left the building, even Clawhauser. Judy, Nick, and the security cameras were the only ones left in the building.

Judy sighed with frustration. "You know what I mean. You're not that kind of predator." A hairs width of fear possessed Judy's voice. She prayed Nick didn't hear it.

But… Maybe she should just walk away. Maybe they could argue about this another time. Maybe this whole thing will be forgotten. But Judy didn't listen to her conscience, she wanted to calm Nick down.

Nick's enraged voice echoed through the empty police station. "The kind that needs to be muscled. The kind that makes think you need—Nick pointed to the pink bottle on Judy's belt—to carry around Fox repellent. Yeah, don't think I didn't notice that little item the first time we met."

Judy hung her head in shame as she glanced at the pink bottle, that her parents had given her. Why is she still carrying around fox repellent? She trusted Nick. She knows he would never do anything to harm her, right?

 _Because you're afraid of him_ , a little voice in the back of her head spoke.

In her mind, Judy clutched her temple and shook her head. No, no. He's my friend. He would never hurt me.

 _Your afraid of him, and you know it._

 _No, I'm not._

Nick said, "so, let me ask you something: are you afraid of me?" His emerald eyes stared directly into hers.

Judy froze, she couldn't answer the question. Not out loud. A-a little, she thought. She knew it was true.

Nick's eyebrows arched, as well as the skin around his nose. "Do you think I might go nuts," he said, both his paws—and claws—in front of him. Judy flinched. "Do think I might go savage? Do think I might try to… Eat you!"

She almost reached for her fox repellent, she almost called for help. But she stood as still as she could. "No," she answered, her voice near trembling. "I don't think you'll do any of those things, Nick."

He wasn't convinced, not at all.

"You're my friend, Nick, and I'd never fear you, not for a single second. And I'll never be scared because you're a predator, not for a single second." She said, tears threatened to stream. She held firm.

Nick turned his back to Judy and walked away, toward the exit. Judy hated herself when she felt relieved that he stepped away from her. She reluctantly followed him.

"Nick… Nick, wait, please." She begged. Nick stopped, but he didn't turn his back from Judy.

Judy stood in place, keeping her distance from Nick. "Nick" She called, heartbroken.

If I'm really your friend, then why are you keeping your distance from me, Nick thought. He clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached. His heart was hurt from betrayal, anger. I was wrong about you, Judy.

"Nick, please believe me." She begged. A tear ran down her cheek, her violet eyes glossy.

Suddenly, Nick let out a ferocious growl, clutching his temple.

Judy took a step forward. "Nick, what's wrong," she asked, panicked.

Nick didn't answer, he clutched his head in pain, snarling like a feral beast.

Then…

To Judy's horror, Nick was on all fours, glaring at her and growling.

Judy stumbled back, almost tripping over her own feet. "N-nick." She stammered. She reached for her fox repellent. "Nick… Snap out of it," she said.

Nick lunged. His razor-sharp teeth and iron sharp claws sent a terrifying chill down her spine. Nick was right on top of her when she dodged. Nick fell on all fours and lunged again.

Judy stumbled and fell on her back. Nick was on top of her in seconds. Judy reached for her fox repellent and held it at Nick. Nick's paw knocked the pink bottle from Judy's grasp, sending it flying across the room. "Nick, please stop."

Nick's sharp teeth got closer and closer to her neck, terror ran through her veins. "NICK!" She screamed, but he didn't stop.

Judy clenched her eyes shut and turned her head. Not like this. I can't die like this. Judy was so overwhelmed by her thoughts that she hadn't noticed…

She finally came back to her senses and cracked her eyes open. What she saw next—

Nick, her soon to be killer, was standing on his two feet, his arms crossed, and his face twisted with rage. Judy froze. "N-nick," she whispered.

"Well, you answered my question pretty well, didn't you, Carrots?" He, accusingly, said.

Judy was still frozen on the ground, realization slowly taking over.

Nick pulled a yellow paper from his pocket and tossed it at Judy, his emerald eyes twisted with disgust. The yellow paper landed on her torso. "W-what," Judy mumbled, so low that Nick couldn't hear it. She grasp the yellow sheet in her paws and was shocked to see Nick had signed it. He wanted to be my partner?

"You were afraid of me since the beginning, and you're still afraid of me now, aren't you?" Nick clicked his tongue. "But what would I aspect from a bunny, seems all predators are a threat to your species. Is that's why you made that statement on the podium, to segregate the city, huh!?" He wailed, taking a step forward. Still on her back, Judy crawled back.

Judy clutched the paper in her paw. "N-nick, please." She didn't know what to say or do. " I want you to be my partner."

"Oh, no, no. I think it'll be best if you didn't have a "predator" as a partner." He said, then stormed off.

Coming to her senses, Judy rose to her feet and chased after Nick. She didn't say anything as she ran, she just wanted to stop him, hug him—kiss him, even. When she was but a mere few inches behind him, Judy grabbed onto his arm.

Nick clenched his teeth as he tried to unlatch Judy from his arm. "Let go, bitch," he hissed.

Judy held onto his arm for dear life. "Nick, please don't go, I need you, I need your help." She pleaded, a tear ran down her cheek. "Please."

"You don't need me for anything, I don't need you for anything. Unhand me, now!" He growled as he shook his arm.

"No," she said, tightening her grasp.

Nick's eyes darkened. "Let. Me. Go." He demanded. His arm stopped shaking.

"I said no."

"Fine…"

Judy shrieked as she fell back on the marble floor, blood dripping from her stomach.

She clutched her mid-section and looked up at Nick, fear stricken.

He had clawed her.

For a second, Nick's expression showed devastation.

He took a step forward. "Judy…" He breathed her name, a plea.

Judy was still clutching her stomach when she looked up at Nick, pure terror in her violet eyes. "Stay away from me."

The fox stumbled back abruptly, his breathing rapid, as if a spear had went straight through his heart. And then his eyes went glossy—sorrow, guilt, and agony there.

The fox didn't give Judy another glance, he quickly exited the police station without looking back.

Judy clutched her stomach as she watched her once friend leave the police station through the spinning doors, and she continued to clutch her stomach as she traveled back to her apartment.

* * *

 _That night: 12:30 p.m._

* * *

Judy had given up sleeping that night, in her apartment. Her neighbors, which were always loud and arguing, were quit tonight. She felt relieved that they were, she just needed peace and quietness.

The deep cut on her stomach burned as the air kissed it. Her paw still stained with her blood. She didn't bother washing the blood from it or her cut. Every time she glanced at her cut or her blood-stained paw it caused her eyes to burn. It reminded her of Nick—and it scared her.

Judy tucked her face into her knees on the bed. Now she had two claw marks on her body, both from foxes—one on her stomach and one on her cheek. Judy could no longer hide it; she was afraid of foxes, she was afraid of Nick. For the rest of the night, Judy cried into her pillow.

* * *

Back at the police station, the security cameras had caught Judy and Nick's argument, as well as Nick clawing Judy.


	2. Forget About Him

**I'm so grateful that so many people have favorite and followed my story. You guys are my main inspiration for writing, thank you so much!**

 **Now, lets get started, shall we?**

* * *

Driving in her new police car chief Bogo had give her, Judy desperately searched for Nick. Judy's shift ended at 6:00, and now it was half past mid-night and Judy had still not checked out from work. Clawhauser had talked to her over the radio, saying she needed to return, but Judy simply turned off the radio. Her first, and only, priority that day was to find Nick, and beg him for forgiveness.

Granted that she still feared him, but, at the same time, she wanted him by her side – and she missed him. She missed the funny, yet immature, jokes he made up; she missed the smug grin he always gave her – she missed everything about him.

 _When did I start wanted to be… So close to him_ , she thought, but quickly pushed it aside, focusing on the task at paw. _Find Nick, but where is he?_

Judy sped up the car as she looked left and right. According to Finnic, Nick's partner in hustling, he was somewhere in the poor part of Zootopia, in an ally.

Judy's long ears drooped on her back as she searched. "Where is he?" She asked herself, out loud, her tone consumed by fear. Her heart raced faster whenever she didn't spot Nick, her breath became faster – and faster.

Then, Judy's violet eyes caught something in the darkness of an alley. A light green Hawaii shirt with a tie wrapped around the collar – an ugly tie. She slowed down the car and looked closer. The dim street lights reflecting the red/orange fur she was so familiar with. Nick.

On the edge, Judy slammed the police car to a halt, jumping and racing toward the alley.

Nick was just entering the alley when he heard his name screamed from someone else's mouth. "Nick!" Judy called, running. The police car had stopped a distance from the alley Nick was planning to hide in. Judy increased her running pace, closing the distance between them.

"Nick! Wait, _please_ ," she called, as she ran for him.

Nick gaze fell on his once best friend. Judy went still. Nick's eyes, the green eyes that were always lively and glowed with mischief, were… Dead. They look dull, consumed by agony and self-loathing. There were black ring under his eyes, showing how much sleep he had gotten the past few days him and Judy had split apart. A tear ran down the Foxes cheek. _I'm sorry, Judy_ , his lifeless gaze seemed to say. His eye then glanced at her stomach, were he had clawed her, assaulted her. _I'm so sorry._

What really scared Judy wasn't Nick's dead eyes, or the black rings under his eyes, or how disheveled his appearance looked. No, what really scared her was the object in Nick's paw. A handgun – loaded and ready to kill its target. And its target happened to be Nick Wilde, her friend; her _lover_ ; her partner.

Judy almost fell to her knees and sobbed when Nick smiled at her. His smile looked broken, twisted with so many emotions it made her dizzy. His eyes glowed oh so faintly with the joy and mischief he used to have, and then, he disappeared into the darkness of the alley; with the gun in tow.

Snapping out of her trance, Judy ran with all her might, screaming," NICK, STOP!" She knew what he had planned to do with the handgun. Judy, ran and ran until she was mere inches from the alley, and then—

Judy froze. Nick Wilde's body—corpse, remains—lay on the concrete, blood flowing from his head. The gun that had took his life stayed clutched in his cold, dead paw. Rain poured down heavily the second Judy witnessed the sight. As if the weather wanted to have the perfect setting for the dead fox.

The torrential rain continued to pour as Judy raced to Nick's body. She screamed his name in hopes he would hear and come back to life, but… Nothing. _He's dead_ , common sense told her that, but… She didn't believe it was possible. Over and over, Judy did C.P.R, mouth-to-mouth, over and over. She didn't give up hope, though her efforts were in vain.

Judy continued to believe Nick was still alive, and tried to bring him back – for hours and hours, until the sun rose over the horizon. Eight hours of C.P.R and mouth-to-mouth later, Judy gave up, and sobbed over Nick's corpse.

Nick Wilde was dead.

* * *

Judy sat up from her bed with a scream. Her glossy, violet eyes scanned her apartment room, everything still in place. Judy let out a heavy sigh, laying back on her bed. "Forget about him," she said to herself, staring at the roof. "Forget about him and move on." The words hurt as they came out of her mouth. She couldn't forget about him. _Why_ _?_

It wasn't until then that Judy noticed her cheeks were stained with tears – her tears. Suddenly, she felt something warm and wet under neath her. At first, she blushed, thinking she'd wet the bed on accident, but that was until the smell hit her. Blood – a lot of blood.

Judy lifted her purple shirt and saw the three mark gash on her belly, that Nick had given her. It was bleeding so much, half her bed had been soaked red. She instantly felt the fatigue taking over, and increasing amount of blood leaving her body. Her eyes searched frantically for the phone and found it on the desk across from her bed. She sat up from her bed, almost falling. Her body was so tired from the loss of blood. She could only blame Nick for this, a savage predator was what he was. It hurt.

Judy grasped her phone and called 911, instantly. After the call, she fell to the floor, blood dripping on her rug, and her mind went into complete darkness.

* * *

That night, at the hospital; after the doctors stopped the bleeding and stitched up the gash, the doctors had ask her question after question about how she'd get the three-claw-gash, every answer she gave was a lie.

She didn't want to mention Nick's name, or anything that related to him. She wanted to forget about him. And that's exactly want she'd done.

* * *

Judy lay in the hospital room, with a white gown on. The doctors had said she needed to sleep over for the night, to make sure the claw marks weren't infected in the morning. The white blanket were warm and soft. Then, her mind strayed off, and she wondered what snuggling against Nick's fur would be like – warm and soft like the hospital bed, or better.

Judy shook her head. "Forget about him," she whispered to herself. Then she pushed Nick and everything about him to the back of her mind. The hospital room was dark, like her soul. The only light being the full moon in the sky, illuminating via the window beside her bed.

Finally, she no longer focused on Nick. She waited for the dread and agony to disappear, to be replaced by her usual happy, optimistic spirit that always jumped inside her.

She waited, and waited, and waited; but it never came.

* * *

 **Tell me what you think (by the way, this chapter is kind of like a filler, so I'll understand if you guys think it's not that great).**

 **And as always.**

 **Peace.**


	3. Twisted Emotions

_9:00 pm. One month later_

* * *

Under a stone bridge, Nick Wilde sat against a solid, cold wall with a black blanket enveloping his body. He tucked his hands into his arm-pits, his teeth chattering. And his clothes and fur were drenched from running in the rain.

Howling winds tore through the bone, chilling air, and torrential rain ravaged the ground like falling hail. Thunder rumbled, growing louder and louder every time it sounded, and lightning spider-webbed through the sky.

It was noon when the rain had started, and now, half past nine, it continued to shower Zootopia, caliginous clouds, almost as black as his blankets, hiding the moonlight from existence.

Nick tightened his grasp on the black blanket in his paws.

It just so happened that the rain had started after his landlord had kicked him from his apartment. Nick cursed under his breath. He wasn't the only person being thrown from his apartment. Many, many predators were sent to the streets because their landlords, who were prey, saw them as a threat. Savage attacks were happening more often with each passing day, and prey were growing more and more worry. Every predator in Zootopia was suffering—shunned because of these events. Luck have it that only few—so, very few—kept their jobs or homes.

Segregation in the city was only getting worse.

Fights between prey and predator happened daily—as well as peace rallies, which were lead by pop-star Gazelle.

Animals were spreading rumors about predators rallying together to start a riot, to gain their rights back. The cops were having a job on their paws, some of them were even severely injured while trying to break up fights.

At the thought of cops, an imagine of Judy flash in Nick's mind. He shook his head and pushed the image deep, deep within himself—before it could strike too deep.

 _Zootopia: the city of chaos, a war zone for a soon-to-be riot._

 _A riot. Lives lost. Separated families._ A chill ran down Nick's spine, but it wasn't because of the cold.

Nick clenched his jaw so hard it hurt. Everything… The segregation, the brutal violence, the predators being treated as monsters, as _beasts_ … It was all her fault. Judy Hopps; that dammed bunny. It was his mistake that he stood up for her when the Chief demanded her badge; it was his mistake that he decided to _trust her_ , his mistake that he believed she saw something else in him other than just a… Fox.

Nick's fist hit the wall with the little strength he had left. "This is all her fault," he hissed through clenched teeth, his claws retracting. He hit the wall again. "This is all her fault." He lost his home… He lost everything. He hit the stone wall over and over saying, "all her fault; all her fault; all her FAULT!" Thunder roared in the sky once again.

Nick's fist slid off the wall and fell to his shivering side. He hated Judy for what she did, but then… That other feeling, the feeling to go back and forgive her for what she'd done. Granted that she didn't say predators were naturally savage on purpose, she was merely stating the facts of the case. Judy would never want the city to segregate itself, right?

He didn't know. He didn't know if he should hate Judy or no; he didn't know.

So, so many emotions battled in his heart, and he didn't know which would win. But hate seemed to stand out amongst all of them—hate for Judy; hate for being a fox; hate for his life.

A gush of wind kissed Nick's soaked fur, he gasped, letting off a hard shiver. If the rain and wind continued, he would probably come down sick—and with him being a fox, catching a cold or a fever could prove fatal for him. Eventually, he would have to find better shelter from the rain. The stone bridge did no good—well, not for the wind anyway.

Thunder roared in the sky once again.

Everything was her fault. It was all her fault, and, truthfully, he hoped the predators, the entire city, would tear her apart. Thunder roared again.

Nick continued to shiver under his black blanket. He curled up as the wind grew colder. His fingers and toes felt as if they could snap off if he moved them.

Suddenly, two bright lights were shined on him. The fox wiped his head toward the light, his paw shielding his eyes.

Three silhouettes ambled toward him. The two on the left and right hulking and broad, and the one right in the middle was small in thin.

"Judy," he gasped out, paws blocking out the glaring. He gritted his flesh-tearing teeth.

But then…

His eyes went wide.

A sheep wearing a red, puffy rain-jacket with a black skirt ambled toward him, her face black with rage. "I saw the video," Mayor Bellwether began.

Nick froze. He didn't have to think twice to know what she was referring to. He clenched his fist, enraged, his claws sinking into his pads.

"I saw everything, and you're going to pay for what you did to Judy." She said, cricket teeth flashing.

Despite his rage, Nick managed a snicker through chittering teeth. "Is that a threat, Smellweather?" He mocked.

Bellwether let out a humorless laugh, her grin wide. "I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream," she said, her voice calm and deadly. The two bright lights behind her somehow made her appear bigger.

Bellwether then snapped her fingers and the lights vanished.

Nick squinted his eyes, his vision going completely black for a second, and then his eyes, built to see through the thick darkness of the night, adjusted.

His heart skipped a beat when he saw the—

Two giant rhinos stood behind the sheep, awaiting orders—orders to beat him, orders to kill him.

The sheep simply turned her back to him and walked between the two rhinos. She only glanced back at Nick as she waved her hoof and said, "

Before the Rhinos could charge, Nick sprang to his feet and bolted away. Flashlights were shined on him as he ran in the rain. The frigid air like shards of glass in his lungs as he ran as fast as his legs would let him. He hadn't eaten in hours and his body was weak. Running proved such a big challenge.

The bridge he had been resting under was just a few minutes way from Nocturnal Town. If he could just make it their maybe—

Nick ran through the soaked grassy field, mud splatting on his trousers and shirt and fur with every swift step.

His feet occasionally slipped on the mud, but he caught himself before he could fall.

The road which lead to downtown Zootopia was just ahead.

The second Nick's foot touched the solid, slippery concrete he was on all fours, sprinting down the road.

Even though he was down on all fours, running like his canine ancestors had thousands of years ago, the exhaustion of walking for miles and miles, and not having any food was quickly wearing down on his speed.

The rhinos remained only a few steps behind him, laughing and yelling out taunts as they grew closer and closer.

Nick gasped for breath, any stamina he had left nearly gone—he was going off pure adrenalin now.

He looked over his shoulder. _I'm not going to be able to lose them._ The thought had his mind racing. There was nowhere else he could go, no where else he could hide, he was surrounded by open fields.

He couldn't outrun these rhinos, he was too weak. And he couldn't blend in with the darkness because of their flashlights—

Suddenly, Nick's train of thought was cut off when a giant paw grabbed him by the scruff and threw him down to the concrete.

The impact robbed his lungs of air.

Agony seared through his skull, through every other part of his body, and a ringing sound pierced his eardrum, making him open his muzzle in a silent scream, teeth fully visible.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't breathe he couldn't breathe he couldn't _breathe—_

His breath was rapid as he tried to take in air, his taunt chest pumping.

He opened his eyes for the first time since he'd been slammed to the ground, and all he saw were two blurry figures laughing above him, any sound coming from them completely blocked by the ringing in his ears.

A few seconds later, and the blurriness and the ringing and the loss of air subdued, only the pain lingering.

He could hear the pouring rain and grumbling thunder, he could hear the rhino's mocking laughter, and, opening his eyes, he saw them laughing, too.

He was too much in a daze to growl or give any gesture of anger. He only lay there, trying to move some part of his body.

One of the rhinos snatched him up by his neck. Nick's feet were dangling high above the ground as he choked for air in his attacker's iron hard grip. He sunk his claws into the rhino's leathery skin, but the hulking mammal didn't so much as flinch.

The gruesome wound on the back of Nick's head had blood running down the back of his neck and further down, until it reached his tail.

The rhino tightened his grip on the fox's neck, grinning wide.

Nick's eyes were wide and bloodshot as he tried to breathe for air. "S-stop…" It was the only word he could gasp out.

The rhino, with eyes the exact color of his skin, glared into Nick's. "I've always enjoyed killing you predators."

And then threw him down to the concrete again.

Nick's screams were masked by the showering rain and roaring thunder as he was beaten half to death.

* * *

Mayor Bellwether ambled to the broken fox, smiling. Her smile grew when she stepped in a pool of blood littered with strands of auburn fur. "Is he dead?" She asked, looking up at the rhino to her left. His knuckles were smeared with blood.

"No." He said. "I thought you might want to dart him with that Night Howler stuff. So, he could go savage and we would have a reason to kill him."

The fox was curled up in a ball, his body completely still, as if he were playing dead—or was dead.

Bellwether kicked him in his back, saying, "I was thinking about doing something like that, but there would be no point. He looks like he's on the verge of death anyway." She waved a hoof at his beaten body. "Throw him back under that stone bridge and come back to the car.

"Yes, ma'am." The rhino said. He dragged Nick by his tail to the stone bridge and tossed him right under it. He scoffed at the fox's body before he and his partner sauntered back to the car.

Nick lay in the mud under the stone bridge, too weak to make a sound, too weak to open his eyes or even move.

Pain. All he felt was pain. And he wished someone could come by and end his misery.

But…

 _I thought you might want to dart him with that Night Howler stuff. So, he could go savage and we would have a reason to kill him._

He would hang onto those words.

Predators weren't just going savage. It was Bellwether who was causing it somehow.

* * *

 _10:25 pm. The next day._

* * *

Judy Hopps sat on her couch, in her new apartment. She spent her time watching "Breaking Bad" on her new T.V that she'd purchased not long ago – a week, at least. She laid her head back her new green couch.

Day after day after day, Judy went to and from work with the same emotions: sorrow, anger, and fear. Over time, Nick and the argument she had with him began to die away. A thought in the back of her head, but no matter what she did, the negative emotions—the after effect of the argument— were just as alive as ever.

Rarely, she would talk at work—or laugh or grin or smile. The happy facial expressions that always stole her face had vanished. All them replaced by an expression of just… emptiness. Yesterday she had yelled at Clawhauser for a simple, little mistake he had made: accidentally bumping into her. Last week she'd beaten a criminal. Chief Bogo had given her a good scolding for that, threatening her career if it ever happened again.

Her anger—her emotions—were running wild, but the answer was unknown to her; and everyone else. Normally she would always control her emotions, but now… She just didn't know. But deep down, she knew why she had been acting out of control, but she always pushed the answer away, refusing to believe it. _Forget about him – he means nothing to you._ She hated herself when her eyes burned. Trying to forget was so painful.

Her paw ran over the outline of the bandages on her shirt. She flinched when she lifted her shirt and touched the white straps, the claw marks still hurt, even after the doctors stitched them up. She felt a wave of anger race through her body. She should've listened to her parents and stayed away from foxes; stayed away from Nick.

But because of her foolishness, she almost got herself gutted by a fox that she thought was her friend. Stupid.

Judy didn't dare visit or call her parents for the past month. They would notice the scar on her belly almost instantly, and they would drown her in a pull of questions. She didn't feel like going through that—she didn't feel like doing anything.

Judy's violet eyes scanned her new apartment—her big apartment. She'd bought it a few days after solving the case. She'd earn tons of money, and she used it wisely. But her apartment was too big—two bedrooms along with an office room; the big living room she sat in right now, with her new T.V and couch; the hallway that leads into the kitchen—were way too big for one bunny.

 _Nick would make_ _a good roommate._

Judy clutched her head. She didn't want to think about Nick, not ever again. "Forget about him. Forget about him. Forget about that savage predator, he's nothing but low-life, shifty fox." She kept whispering to herself, trying to erase Nick from her mind like she had so many times before. And it hurt every time. _Why?_

But… For some reason—she wanted to remember him. She… She mourned for him. Maybe… Maybe… "Forget about him." But he wanted to be your partner. He cared for you. Judy froze. "Did… Did he care for me?". It wasn't until her phone rang that Judy noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks. _Why am I crying?_

Judy wiped the tears away with her paw. She sniffed a few times before answering her CarrotPhone, which said an unknown number on it.

Answering, Judy put the phone to her ear, saying, "hello." She hated herself for how weak her voice sounded on the phone. There was a moment a silence. "Hello?" She called, again.

"Hopps," a deep, stern voice said on the other side of the line.

Judy sat up in her couch. "Chief Bogo," she said, surprised. Working with Chief Bogo had taught Judy a few, important, things. One being that Chief Bogo never called one of his officers past their shifts; unless something gravely important was happening.

"Judy, you're awake. Good." He said, his voice heavy.

Judy swallowed a lump in her throat. As an officer, she knew to expect the worst—ha shoot out, a murder case, a hate crime, anything. "What do you need, sir?" She asked, her tone on the edge.

"Hopps, get to the Zootopia Hospital, immediately." He said.

Judy immediately answered, "yes, sir." She said and ended the call. She quickly slipped on her police uniform and—via train—raced to the Zootopia hospital. _Why would the Chief want me at the hospital?_

* * *

 _11:47 pm_

* * *

Judy stood in front of the huge white building. A sign "Zootopia Hospital" glowed red over the entrance. It was now near mid-night, but the hospital still looked as busy as ever. Judy walked along the path which lead to the entrance to the hospital, a stone canopy roof illuminated the path with its bright lights. Her heart pounding, Judy entered the hospital through the spinning doors.

* * *

 **I pretty much rewrote all of chapter 3. But tell me what you think. Good? Okay? Terrible? Tell me in the review.**


	4. Heart Break

**I wanted to inform you guys of something, I'm going to make a new story about Zootopia right after this one. The plot nor the title has been confirmed yet, but the story may be out soon, or next year - it depends. Ok, enjoy the chapter! I made it extra long and interesting.**

* * *

As soon as Judy entered through the hospital's spinning doors, she was met with Chief Bogo in the lobby, sitting on a red couch. His face stern as always. The floors were decorated with white, cracked marble. Nurses and doctors walked to and fro with clip boards – some pushing wheel chairs with patients in them. Multiple windows were scattered around the lobby room; as well as an elevator and doors which lead to the patients rooms on different floors. An officer—who Judy knew as Jamal—stood behind the red couch Chief Bogo sat in with immortal stillness. The wolf's blue, ice-cold eyes locked on her. He turned in her direction, a little smile on his face. "Officer Hopps," he greeted. At the mention of Judy, Chief Bogo stood from the couch.

"Officer Jamal," Judy greeted back; tipping her head a bit.

The wolf wore the normal officer uniform—a black tie with a blue suit, along with his golden badge and other accomplishments attached to his collar—and his fur as white as snow. He stood almost to the Chief's height, about a foot shorter.

Honestly, Judy found herself surprised that Jamal, whom was a wolf, still had his job at the Z.P.D. Most predator whom were officers were kicked off the force, only very few remained. Judy felt guilt for every predator cop that was fired. If only had she not made that statement at the press conference. She felt pathetic.

Bogo didn't bother addressing Judy when appeared beside Jamal, saying, "go ahead, Jamal. Tell Judy what you found while on patrol yesterday." He said, his tone soft – despite his voice being deep.

Judy looked at Jamal, her expression filled with worry. Jamal glanced at the Chief, and nodded. "Yes, sir." His eyes locked with Judy's.

He began, taking in a breath. "Yesterday, at 9:50 pm, I was in my vehicle, patrolling the grassy fields next to the farm, nothing out-of-the-ordinary. But that's until, I smelled blood – a lot of it."

Judy tensed.

Jamal continued. "When I followed the scent to its source, I eventually ran into a more blood that stained the road. I examined it for a moment and found another scent that lead under a stone bridge. That's when I found _him_." His voice became dark at the last sentence.

"Him?" Judy echoed.

Jamal pulled a picture from his belt and handed it to Judy. "A fox by the name of Nick Wilde," he said.

Judy took the photo from Jamal's paw and gazed at it. She almost fell to her knees. In the picture, Nick lay in a fetal position in the mud, his fur stained with blood and mud. A bright light, which had probably been Officer Jamal shinning a flashlight on Nick, revealed a black eye on the left side. Judy paws began shaking, her eyes burned with tears. _Why am I so… Worried for him? Don't I hate him?_

Reluctantly, Judy ripped her gaze from the photo and focused her violet eyes on Jamal. "What happened?" It came out like a gasp, barely audible. Jamal heard her question.

"You know him, right? I notice him as the fox who helped you with the case a month back." He said, his blue eyes filled with sympathy.

Judy nodded, directing her gaze back to the photo. "Yes, I do know him." _But you hate him. He almost killed you_. She tried to tell herself, but it hurt so much. "He was attacked, wasn't he?" She asked a question she already knew the answer to.

Jamal nodded. "Yes, he was attacked, but we still haven't found the animals responsible for the assault, yet." He replied.

Judy hated herself when her mouth trembled. The photo tore her heart to shreds. Nick… The way he'd been beaten and left to die. Left under a bridge to die – rot… _Why?_ The tears were so hard to hold back. She couldn't stop herself when she said, "can I see him?" The voice inside her head screamed, telling her not to go. Judy ignored it. She needed to see him. "Please…"

"Of course." Chief Bogo said. "That is the reason I called you over here."

Judy nodded, grateful. "Thank you, Chief." She said.

Bogo cracked a smile and nodded. "I'll get a nurse to escort you to Nick's room." As if time wanted to help out, an Otter—female— nurse was walking by the three officers. Bogo didn't hesitate to asked the Otter to escort Judy. The Otter agreed, and, via elevator, lead Judy to Nick's room.

* * *

Across the lobby room, a spy leaned against the wall pretending to play on his phone. The goat then went on his contacts and called a unknown number. He walked toward the spinning doors of the hospital exit and walked outside. "The boss isn't going to like this." The goat whispered to himself as he walked down the sidewalk. And the goat was right.

* * *

Judy heart raced as the elevator passed multiple floors. Each number echoed in her head. _One. Two. Three. Four. Five_. The echoing didn't stop until they reached the final floor. _Twelve_ , she counted. The elevator made a ringing sound and the metals doors slide open.

Judy stepped out of the elevator and examined the room. A straight hallway with twenty doors running down it. Each door had a number on it: 1z to 40z. Before Judy took another step down the hallway, she turned toward the nurse, who remained in the elevator.

"Your friend is in room 30z." The Otter said, then glanced at the board, confirming with a nod of her head.

Despite being in a hurry, Judy took a second to thank the nurse for escorting her. The nurse replied with a smile and pressed a button on the elevator. She vanished behind the sliding, metal doors.

Judy slowly walked toward Nick's room, counting ever door that she passed. _30z._ Like the nurse had said. She stood in front of the white door. The doorknob silver with a key hole in the middle. Judy reached for the doorknob but hesitated.

 _What if he attacks you again – but this time, kills you._ Her heart wailed at her rib cage. _No. He's your friend, Judy. He's your friend._ Taking in a deep, quivering breath, she reached for the doorknob and the door slowly opened with a squeak. Her paws unwillingly shook, but she slowly entered the room. And she was then met with the sleeping form of Nick. His torso covered by a white blanket and tube ran from his arm to a plastic, clear bag full of water. His left eye was bandaged by a white patch – an obvious black eye underneath.

The bunny's legs ached as she inched closer to the beaten fox. The room was silent, save for the beeping sound of the heart monitor. His mouth stayed slightly gaped, letting out soft, barely audible, snores. She suddenly wished she had the pink bottle of Fox Repellent to hold onto for safety. _He tried to kill_ _you. Stay away._ Her instincts whispered. She didn't listen, she refused to listen. _But… He was once my friend._ She com-backed her instincts – but it proved hard to believe.

She didn't notice when her paw suddenly touched the scars on her stomach – still patched up with white bandages and stitches. _Stay away. Run._ She kept walking forward.

Then, Judy stood by the bed Nick slept in peacefully. She swallowed a lump in her throat. Her paws were shaking violently as if she were possessed. Ignoring every instinct in her body, her mouth opened. "Nick." She called, so soft like a mother talking to her child.

The fox lay still, silent.

"Nick." She called again.

Nothing. As if he were ignoring her.

Judy reached up and placed a paw on his arm. She blushed. His fur felt so soft, softer than she remembered. _They must have given him a bath._ She shook him gently. "Nick, wake up." She said, shaking him.

The fox groaned. He yawned, stretching his arms, and then slowly sat up from his bed. A yelp of pain sprang through clenched teeth before he sat up fully – his spine still ached. Nick fell back on the bed like a puppet cut from its strings, moaning in pain.

Judy rushed to his side. "Nick, are you okay?" She asked, worried. Judy hopped on a stool next to Nick's bed so she could stand above him. Nick, instinctively, turned in the direction of the voice… His green eyes met Judy's violet – and time froze. Both eyes were twisted with emotion – sorrow, anger, agony, non could tell.

Judy wanted to reach down and touch him, but it never happened. She wanted to speak, but she said nothing. She wanted to scream and release all her anger, but she said nothing.

Knocking himself out of his trance, Nick ripped his gaze from Judy as he turned his head in the other direction. He stared at the window across from his bed, remaining silent. Judy, on the other paw, continued to stare out him. She couldn't take her gaze away from him. She thought of the nightmare she had only a couple of nights ago. The sadness and agony in Nick's eyes; the blood flowing from his head when he committed suicide. She wanted to cry so badly, but didn't.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Nick spoke. "Had a feeling you'd come sooner or later." He said, not daring to glance at her. The sense of betrayal still hurt as if there argument had happened yesterday.

"I'm not here because I'm worried about you," she said, " Chief Bogo demanded I come here – I just wanted to make that clear to you, fox." Her tone sounded harsh and cruel just like she wanted it to be. But inside, she knew she was partially lying.

Nick clicked his tongue, his gaze still turned away from hers. "Doesn't matter, anyway," he said," the less visitors the better. Now, why don't you tell me why you're here so you can get out of my face." He said with a angry tone, as if he were speaking to trash.

Judy clenched her fist at her sides. "I'm here to ask you questions about what happened to you," she said. "Under Chief Bogo's orders, of coarse."

The fox snorted. "Your such a terrible liar, you know that?" Judy smashed her teeth together. Nick continued. "And based on the sound of your chomping teeth, you know I'm right." He gave a humorless chuckle.

Nick head turned in Judy's direction. He stared straight into her violet eyes. "Tell me something, rabbit: if Chief Bogo said I'd been killed, how would you react? Would you simply ignore my tragedy and move on with life, or would you cry next to my corpse, regretting everything that happened?" Judy found the question almost impossible to answer — and sudden.

Her emotions, for the past days, have been going separate ways, and she didn't know which to follow: love or hate or fear. She loved him for his character – those immature jokes and lazy smirk. She hated him for leaving her alone with nothing but darkness to comfort her. And she feared because he had almost stole her life with his sharp claws. _I don't know, Nick!_ She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.

 _I don't know._

Judy stared at the ground. "You almost killed me, Nick. How am I supposed to care about a person who almost took my life?!" She yelled.

Guilt flashed in Nick's one green eye. But the guilt vanished as fast as it came "You say that, and yet you deleted the security footage of are argument."

Judy's eyes widened. _How did he—_

"What – you think I'm stupid or something?" He said, seeing her reaction. "You must really think of me that low, huh? – if Chief Longhorns would've seen that footage, he would tear Zootopia apart looking for me, and you know that as well as I do." He said, waiting for an answer.

Judy continued to look at the ground. It was true: she had deleted the footage of Nick attacking her. No matter how much she hated him, she couldn't bear to see him in prison.

"So, let me ask you this: why did you delete the video?"

She looked away. "I—

"I, what." Nick said.

"I don't know," she said, her voice cracked. She looked Nick in his one green eye. "I don't know."

Nick looked down, his ears drooped on his head. "You don't know, huh?" He whispered. "Then what do you feel for me then – fear, hate, anger, love. Which is it?" His tone slightly angry.

Judy shook her head. "I don't know!" She wailed. "I hate you and fear you so much, but…but I love you." Nick's one eye widened. "I love you, and I would never be the same again if you were to die, and yet I hate you – I don't know what to feel for you!"

A tear ran down her cheek at her confession. Nick opened his mouth to say something but Judy beat him to it. "I deleted the video because… Because if you were to go to prison, I knew there was a big chance that I would never see you again, and couldn't bear it. I just couldn't…" She turned her head from Nick and cried, letting the tears splat on the marble floor.

Nick stared at the crying bunny. It looked like his plan worked: she did delete the security footage without showing anyone, and he knew it without a doubt that Judy truly cared for him – but feared and hated him as well. Nick almost let out a heavy breath at the relief. _At least I know she didn't betray me out of spite and show Bellwether the security footage, or do I?_

Either way, one huge, important question remained: how did Bellwether get a hold of the video if Judy had deleted it? Surely she would've made sure every copy was erased, so how did the sheep do it?

Nick knew that if he wanted to find his answer, only one person could help him, a person he could trust not to betray him. _Are you sure you trust her?_ A little, faint voice in his head said.

Nick pushed it aside. Ignoring the jolt of pain, Nick managed to place an arm on Judy's shoulder. The bunny's violet eyes looked in his direction, still glossy from fresh tears.

"Judy." He said. Nick tends to call Judy by her real name only in serious situation. This moment, however, would be one of them. "You said you loved me, and hate me; but would that stop you from helping me?"

Judy didn't know what to say. _Help him, maybe you can rebuild your friendship with him that way_. One voice said.

The other voice, however _, don't trust him, he's trying to lure into a trap. He's a con-artist, remember? Don't trust him, he'll kill you._

The emotions that had been torturing her for the last month—love, fear, and anger—swarmed inside her head, whispering. Tempting. She didn't know which to choose.

It wasn't until then that Judy realized her back was turned to Nick, but his paw remained on her shoulder. "Carrots, please." He begged, scooting on his bed. He bit back his agonized cry. It would be a couple of weeks before he could even walk again. Those dammed Rhinos, one day he repay them for all the damage they'd caused him — fractured ribs, bruised arm, and a bunch of other wounds that were too painful to name. Strangely, he felt relieved that he didn't feel any hate toward Judy for his injuries – well, not anymore.

Bellwether, however, would be on his most hated list of animals. He personally swore he would find the sheep and skin her alive. For now, he pushed the thought aside and focused on his main objective: convince Judy to help him. He couldn't get out of the bed—nor move—without feeling a jolt of pain, and he needed to find evidence about Bellwether as quick as possible. So only one option remained.

"Carrots, please." He said again, but the room remained silent. His paw slid from her shoulder—another jolt of pain, and, once again, he had to bite back a cry—and rested by his side. "Look," he said, "I'm sorry about what I did a month ago." He meant it. Judy's nose twitched. "I—I know you'll never forgive me for what I've done, but… Please, I need your help." He begged.

For the past month he'd always debated what to say to her when the time came to forgive her—or she forgive him—but the words never came to him. Like now. He didn't know what to say, except say sorry or beg her to come back into his life.

He needed her, he wanted her to be in his life, but he began hating her when she lied to him - feared him - because of what he was: a fox. A thieving fox. It hurt him to know she secretly feared him, but he only sealed it when he attacked her – almost gutting her. He wanted to leave that moment in the past, though, it would be impossible. The scars on Judy's torso would remain forever. They would remain as a reminder for why a fox and a rabbit couldn't fall in love, or be close friends. He wanted to push past that and rebuild.

Nick said, "Judy."

A sob escaped through the bunny's lips, and more tears streamed down her cheeks. Her her shattered. She couldn't trust him. No matter what he said, no matter how hard she tried to make herself trust him, she couldn't. _Why…? Why?! Why?! WHY?!_

Judy choked on her words as she spoke them. "I can't… I can't… Trust you." The last two words came out hoarse, like her throat had been slit. "I can't…" She almost broke down in a sobbing fit. She couldn't trust him, and yet she worried for him, loved him; but she couldn't trust him – not anymore. Ever since he clawed her, she couldn't—

"Why?" Nick asked. It came out crueler than he wanted it to. "Is it because I'm a fox?"

"N—no, it's not, but…" She could barely speak anymore. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to act, except sob and regret everything.

And she didn't feel worthy of her badge. At times, she felt like a criminal who had just committed a crime. She felt sick. She wanted to rip off her badge and throw it to the ground. She didn't—

"I'm sorry," Judy said, and ran – ran away from Nick.

"Judy, wait." Nick called. The door shut before he could say another word. The room went silent again.

With a jolt of pain, he sat back on his bed, but, this time, he didn't hold back his cry and the hospital room painful scream.

 _I can't trust you._ Those words Judy had said haunted him. Tortured him, because that exactly what everybody thought of a fox. I can't trust you. He'd learned, over many insults that were screamed at him later, to ignore people words and move on with life. He built a wall of steel around his heart to never let a person get to him. Nick buried his muzzle in his pillow. Now, the steel wall began to melt, and the words that Judy had said put a knife through his heart.

And for the first time in 15 years, Nick cried.

* * *

After wiping away her tears and calming herself down, Judy reached up and pressed one of the golden bottoms on the elevator. The machine started, and lowered itself down to the first floor. She couldn't get Nick out of her mind – not anymore. All she could see was Nick's face as he begged her to help him with something.

The thought came to her, what did Nick want her help for?

She pushed that thought aside. I didn't matter now, she'd abandon him for the second time.

The elevator ringed and the metal doors slid open. She exited the elevator with a emotionless mask. She didn't want anybody seeing, or knowing, what she'd went through.

Officer Jamal stood up from the red couch, taking the stance of an security guard. Chief Bogo was nowhere in sight. And for some reason, Judy felt a strange feeling in her stomach. Fear. _Why do I feel… afraid_. She pushed it aside.

Judy asked, "Jamal, where's the Chief?" She found, strangely, that her repeatedly pounded in her chest.

"He had to report to the police station—he didn't say why." The white wolf answered. Judy hid her sigh of relief. Why I'm I afraid?

She said, "well, tell him I said thanks for letting me visit Nick." She knew what she said had been a lie, but a way to get out of the hospital quicker.

Jamal nodded. "I will," he said.

Judy walked for the exit. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. Goodnight." She said. Walking away more quickly than usual.

"Goodnight." He said.

Judy was just about to enter the spinning doors when Jamal stopped her. "Hey, Judy." He called. The bunny turned in his direction. "If you liked me to, I could drive you home."

Judy shook her head. "That's fine. I'm fine riding the train." She rejected anxiously. Judy didn't want to hang around any longer. The feeling of dread grew with every passing second.

Jamal walked toward her. "You sure? I really wouldn't mind dropping you off at your house, and besides, I would like somebody to talk to. This past month hasn't been exactly the most pleasant—or safest." She agreed. Perhaps having a nice conversation could help; maybe even take her mind off Nick, and the strange, fearful feeling pounding in her stomach.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a ride home." She said.

Jamal smiled. "Great—my car is across from the hospital." The wolf walked with Judy through the spinning doors. He was careful not to accidentally step on her as they walked in the doors. When they exited the building, Jamal said, "hey, how about the both of use get a something Mcdonkeys—it's on me." He said as they walked the cross walk.

Judy nodded. "Sure, I could use something to eat." Honestly, she didn't feel hungry. She was agreeing with everything he said, but Judy couldn't shake off a feeling of dread since she left the building. Something dangerous was going to happen. She knew it.

Like a gentlemen, Jamal opened the passenger door to his police car for Judy. "Thanks," she said; trying to hide the fear in her voice. She failed at doing so.

Jamal gave a worried look. _Oh God_ , she thought. "Judy, you okay." He asked.

"Yeah—yeah, I'm fine." She assured, her smile being fake. She hopped into the passenger seat, sighing.

Jamal said, "Judy, you wouldn't mind waiting here for a sec, I left my wallet in the hospital."

"Sure—go ahead." Ice grew in her veins. She wanted to tell him to not go, but didn't.

He said, "ok, it'll be a sec." He then shut the door as he quickly began to walk across the street.

Judy's heart raced in her chest as she watched Jamal cross the street. _Tell him to come back, you idiot! Tell him!_ She couldn't. Her heart raced faster and faster as if she were watching a horror movie. Jamal's fast walking suddenly turned slow; in fact, the whole world went in slow motion - her breathing, blinking of the street lights, everything. She froze with fear.

Suddenly, there was a bang, and the wolf fell to the ground. Blood spilled onto the street. Many, many bangs came after that, and more blood stained the street. The banging stopped, and Jamal's body laid still—too still.

Frozen, Judy stared at Jamal's curled body. An image of Nick's body flashed before her vision, and she gasped. Judy clutched her head as she sobbed and screamed in the police van. Her body refused to check on Jamal, because every time she glanced at wolf's curled body, she saw Nick's corpse.

* * *

Located on top of a building near the hospital, a goat was holding a sniper, still looking through the scope. He then put a phone to his ear and whispered out two simple words. "He's dead."

The person on the other side of the line smiled wickedly.

* * *

 **Well, tell me what you think. Good? Bad? Horrible? Your choice.**

 **And as always.**

 **Peace.**


	5. The Malice Grows

**I've heard people saying they had problems with this story-the guns, not enough drama and so on. Well, I'll try to fix those problems ,okay, just bear with me, please. And if any of you guys see any problems in this story, let me know.**

 **(And to people who keep saying that Nick clawing Judy was out of his character; well here's my answer: this is a different Zootopia universe, okay. You don't agree, tell me in the review.)**

* * *

 _Three days after Jamal is killed: 10:35 am_

* * *

 _10:10 am. Judy's apartment._

* * *

She couldn't bring herself to go to Jamal's funeral, not with so many of his family and friends mourning over his death, and her knowing she could've prevented it. Jamal was a well-respected cop, so well-respected that the Chief allowed some of the officers to take a day off-that included Judy. But she didn't go, instead, she used her day off to rest and relax her mind. Her feet hurt, anyway. She had been on too many foot chases to count. With every step she took, they'd scream, sending a electric current that raced through her nervous system. She swore, one more step and her feet might shatter like fragile glass.

The morning rays from the sun beamed through her window, making the temperature slightly rise to a comforting amount. Judy sat back in her queen-sized bed, holding her phone above her face to see her parents via FaceTime. She tucked her other arm behind her head, saying, "yeah, I'm doing fine, mom." She tried as best as she could to hide the agony in her voice. She tried her best not to stroke the badges covering her scared belly. She had just woke up when her mother called her- for the fifth time in three minutes.

"You sure, honey," Bonnie—Judy's mother—said, "you don't sound too fine. If you want, me and your father can come down there and help you out with whatever problem you have." Her tone sounded like she'd just heard the world was gonna end at any second.

Judy rolled her eyes. _Overprotective, as always_. Well, she couldn't blame her. The last time she'd talked to her parents was about a two-and-a-half months ago. When her mom had called her that morning, it took all the courage she had just to pick up the phone; and face her mother. She felt like she was talking to a leader of a terrorist group. Her confidents drained when she saw her mother's face, like a child would when they broke their mother's vase. But she pushed the thought aside, and repeated one phrase in her head: _Suck it up._

Jamal's death was still fresh on her mind. She could practically hear the gunshots and the bullets piercing his flesh and his corpse hitting the asphalt. Still clear as day. She could remember herself crying and screaming like a helpless child while Jamal's blood stained the street. But maybe she was a helpless child back then, when she was so determined to prove herself to Chief Bogo that she could do everything a cop could. She was just a child dressed in a costume. But no more. _I'm done being weak and looked down upon. When the savage attacks stopped and the mastermind behind it all was found, she would be the one to do it all. She would be feared and loved by this city. I'm Judy Hopps, but then I'm not._

Judy Hopps: that foolish bunny who saw Zootopia—the world—as some perfect, magical place where everybody got along and, as long as the police were around, crimes where at a low rate.

 _Wrong_. _So, so wrong._

That Judy Hopps… She'd buried her the moment the fox she'd once considered her friend harmed her—clawed her. Her eyes had been forcefully opened at that moment to witness the painful truth: the world is a merciless place where only the strong survived. And if she wanted to live—if she wanted to survive, she'd have to be strong. She would have to be more than a carrot farming, dum bunny—she would have to be… A predator. Maybe that's what her mother noticed: the change in her violet eyes. The rage and sorrow and determination that blazed in her soul, hotter than the fires of hell itself. Maybe that's what her mother saw; and feared.

Judy glanced at the little scream on the corner of the Facetime that showed her face. Her eyes… Once they were filled with love and joyfulness, but now, after everything she'd been through, they were filled with determination, anger, agony, and… And sorrow. Sorrow for Nick? No, no sorrow. You buried that Judy Hopps—that weak, soft hearted bunny. She's gone. No sorrow. Not eyes of sorrow. The eyes of a predator. A hunter. A fighter. A cop…

"Yes, mom. I'm fine, I'm fine." She said, a bit annoyed at her mother's overprotectiveness, but apart of her enjoyed it—missed it.

Her mother blinked, shocked. _Do I sound cruel, too_ , Judy realized. "I'm sorry, honey, it's just… You haven't called in a while and…" Her mouthed remained shut for a moment, as if some ghost had possessed her tongue.

Judy's eyes softened, worried. "And what, Mom?" She asked, wanting to hear the answer but at the same time not.

Her mother glanced at the floor of the house she sat in. "You look a little different, that's all." She blinked rapidly, realizing what she'd said. "Not in a bad way, of course. You just… Changed, for the better, too." _Lie._ Judy knew it. When her mother felt uncertain of worried or uncomfortable, she'd blinked rapidly. Judy decided to keep it to herself. _Eyes of a predator_. And her mother—her parents, her family—didn't exactly get along with predators, especially foxes. And too be honest, she hated fox, too. _A lie_ , a little voice in her head said. She pushed the thought aside.

She gave a warm smile. "Thanks, mom." She said, stroking the sides of her phone. "So, how's dad doing?." She couldn't think of anything else to talk about.

Her mother smiled. "Oh, your dad is being dad—working himself half to death without a break." She chuckled, Judy joined in.

Her mother looked relieved, almost like she was glad she had changed the subject. Judy shrugged it off. "Well, you tell him I said I love you." She said, lowering her arm, letting it fall on her side with the phone.

"I will, bun-bun, don't worry." She chuckled a bit, but then it began to die down and eventually went silent with a frown. Her mother's eyes went glossy.

Judy sat up in her body, her face painted with worry. "Mom… Mom, what's wrong?"

Bonnie said, "I was watching the news yesterday." Judy's blood went cold. "And I saw what happened to the officer. Judy, are you alright?" Her mother sounded like she was on the verge of tears—on the verge of breaking.

Judy pushed the nightmarish images of Jamal's corpse aside. "Mom, I'm fi—"

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me, young lady." Judy sealed her mouth shut, refusing to talk. The last thing she wanted to do was worry her family, but then what would be the point, they've already saw the news—the story. _But… But they hadn't heard about Nick_ … No, she wouldn't complete that thought. And she would not let her family hear of it, ever.

"Bun-bun, please," her mother begged. "I heard they found you in a police van curled up and sobbing into her knees, whispering nonsense. Please, tell me what's wrong."

She hesitated, thinking about telling a lie. But the other voice in her suggested she talk about it. Maybe… Maybe that way she'd feel slightly better. Besides, during her child hood when situations would become hard and impossible, talking to her mom about it always helped. Maybe now the result would stay the same. So she said, "I'm… I'm not okay, mom. My friend, Nick, and I got into a argument a month ago, and we split up. I tried to go talk to him once but…" She couldn't complete the sentence. _I tried to talk to him once but I just abandoned him again. I proved him right: I'm afraid of foxes; I'm afraid of him._

As if her mother could read her thoughts, she said, "I understand, sweetie."

Judy continued. "I haven't been able to sleep right, or do anything without messing up in some way. And the fact that predators are being thrown onto the streets is my fault… It's tearing me apart, mom." A tear streamed down her cheek. _Strong, Judy. Be strong_. So she held back the many tears that threatened to stain her cheeks.

"I don't know what to do." There was nothing else she could say except for that. Anything else would probably scare her mother to death. Like how a group of predators, a week ago, had started a riot in the rainforest district, breaking into stores and house while even burning some of them to ashes. Or how she was almost killed in the riot by one of the three predators that went savage out of nowhere, a tiger. She had to get a new uniform for the second time—the first time being Nick—because the savage tiger had been so close to spilling her guts. Even now, as she lay in her bed, the attack haunted her: the tiger's death-promising teeth, its razor sharp claws, and the hungry eyes that look as if they could rip her soul right out of her body. Some weak, agonized part of her wanted to tell her mother about her near-death experience. No, no not yet. Not ever.

"Judy," her mother said, her voice smooth and carrying like an angel's. "I've never knew how such pain your felling right now felt, but I know one thing: if you kept dwelling in the past, you'll never over come your problems now." Judy looked into her mother's eyes, that were like an exact copy of her own. And in them, when she looked closely, she could see worry, determination, and… Hope. Hope that predators will regain freedom or hope that she would make it past her trials—trials that she had put upon herself. She couldn't tell.

"Your friend, you said you talked to him once before and you turned out to be the one to abandon him a second time, go back to your friend and forgive him. Tell him how much you regret your actions. Until he forgives you." Bonnie said.

Judy found her paws shaking, she couldn't tell why. Too many emotions swarmed inside her head, and she had no control. "But, mom, I just can't—"

"Forgive him, Judy, even if you still hate him afterwards. Forgive your friend for what he did." _But he almost killed me. He clawed me and left me to drown in my own guilt._

Her mom must've read her mind again, because she said, "trust me, honey, if you forgive him, you'll feel so much better afterwards. You'll be able to face challenges and defeat them easily like you always did. You're a trier, Judy. That's why your in Zootopia, doing something no other bunny would do—or even think to do. Try to forgive your friend—care for him, even if you hate him. Even if he still hates you."

 _I_ don't _know when to quite_ , she had once said when Gideon Grey had tried to mark her as a carrot farming bunny—tried to convince her she could be nothing else. But she tried, and tried, and tried.

Judy glanced at her police uniform hanging in the walk-in-closet of her room, along with the other clothes—dark blue shirts; black tights; multiple different colored plaid button-shirts; blue jeans. And her badge sitting on the night stand next to her. She'd earned them both, because she tried. _You're a trier, Judy._

And she would get Nick back—she would forgive him, and love him. _Don't trust that fox. He'll kill you. He's a con-artist. Forget about him and move on._

"Shut up." She hissed at her instincts, so low that her mother didn't even see her mouth move.

Someone suddenly called Judy's mother, and she turned in the direction of the voice and said, "I'll be there in a sec." She turned back to her daughter. "Just… Think about what I said, Judy, okay?"

Judy gave a slight nod as a response.

Her mother smiled, warm and carrying like always. "I love you, bun-bun."

"I love you, too, mom." Judy smiled back.

Her mother was too first to hang up the phone, and Judy's room went silent as death. She laid her phone on the night stand, next her badge. She laid back in her bed, sighing.

She would forgive Nick for what he did to her, what she did to him. Easier said then done, a little voice in the back of her head said. But this time, she didn't silence it. Rather, she agreed with it.

Although it was morning, Judy went to sleep. And for the first time in a month, she slept without having nightmares about savage animals and death. Instead, she was standing in front of Nick, hugging him and crying into his chest. "I love you." She mumbled out. And her apartment went silent once again.

* * *

 _3:04 pm._

* * *

Nick Wilde was awakened by the sound of a closing door. His one eye opened slightly, expecting to see a mammal dressed in white robe standing by his bed, but he didn't see anyone, nor did he hear anyone or smell anyone—he was alone. _Of course_. Prey made up most of the doctors in the hospital—maybe three or four predators, but Nick doubted the number even went that high. No body—well, no prey—cared about predators anymore. Predators are the outcast of the city; natural born savages. For prey to think of them like that… He hated it. He wanted to claw his bed up until there was nothing left. In fact, he lifted his arm, wanting to claw the wall behind his bed. But He felt a slight pain in his arm—a sting. One of the doctors must have injected some pain killer into him, or medicine of some sort. He didn't care. Nothing the doctors gave him could take the guilt and sorrow away.

He sobbed for hours the night him and Judy had their argument. He kept his arm over his eyes the whole time he cried, he was afraid if he removed it he would hear those heart-wrenching words again. _I can't trust you_ , Judy had said three nights ago. Even thinking about it made a jolt of pain run through his chest. Peoples had thought that way about him—about foxes—all his life, and yet when he heard Judy say it… To know how she sees him like every other prey sees him… It killed him on the inside. He felt broken; like a totaled car in junk yard, awaiting to be crushed into a little square. He wanted Judy back, he wanted to be her friend again—maybe even something more. But she didn't. She feared him and loathed him and loved him. Three emotions battling within her little heart. Nick hoped love would be the one to win the war, because he loved her.

He loved her because she, besides his mother, was the first person to see him something else than just a shifty fox. She saw a loving heart beneath the sneaky smirk and smart remarks. She saw a… She saw a hero.

 _You could actually make a pretty good cop_ , Judy once said, while they were checking the security cameras to see what happened to savage Monchas. She no longer saw him as a cop now. From the moment he clawed her he became a criminal—assaulting an officer, and yet Judy didn't mention anything about that. She _deleted_ the video because love told her too, love was winning the battle. And maybe… Just by some slight chance… She wanted him back. You know that's not going to happen, Nick. Idiot; you retarded idiot. Fear drove those negative thoughts, so he pushed them aside.

Nick's ear suddenly perked up at the voices of two doctors having a conversation outside his room. They must still think he's asleep. _Good._

"You watched the news today, right, Jake?" One of the voices asked; deep and strong. A male.

"Oh, yeah, I watched it." Another voice replied, not as deep as the other but male. "I would hate to be that little bunny—Judy Hopps."

Nick felt his heart punching his rib-cage when Judy's name came out one of the doctor's mouths.

"Mmhm, definitely. That whole mob of predators are out for her head." The deep voice let out a little chuckle. "I wonder what she's doing now that half the predators in Zootopia want her dead?" The deeper voice ask.

Ice ran through the foxes veins. _No, this can't be…_

Nick could imagine the other guy shrugging. "Probably using the ZPD to protect her, or something—might've even left the city. I don't know. Bunnies are scared easily, anyway. She's probably pissing her pants right now." Both voices chuckled.

"Well, I really don't care what happens to her now. What she's done to this city, she deserves to be hunted down and killed." Predator. Both voices definitely belonged to predators. "My brother's living with my mom because he was fired for no reason—save for being a dangerous savaged."

"I see your point; I hope that bunny commits suicide or gets captured and killed—the bitch." The deeper voice growled.

"Whoa whoa, Jake. You might want to watch what you say, you could get us fired, you know."

"As of now, I don't care if I have a job or not. I'm thinking about leaving this battlefield of a city, anyway—I'm sick of all the discrimination."

"I hear you, Jake." The sound of footsteps echoed through Nick's room and the hallway outside. The voice getting farther away. "I hope this city can return to normal, though." The lighter voice said. "I like it here."

"Yeah, me too." Then the voices were gone.

If Nick didn't feel paralyzed, he would've sprang from his bed and raced out of the hospital. He would've found Judy and tried to protect however way he could, but couldn't. He could not move without crying out in pain. _I have to help her, but how?_

At one of the corners of his room, a flatscreen TV sat on a stand with metal bars holding the stand in place. The remote to the TV lay right next to Nick's bed on a night stand. With the little strength he had left, Nick reached for the remote and turned on the flatscreen. And for the rest of the day, he watched ZNN, hoping Judy's name didn't appear.

* * *

 _6:10 pm_

* * *

Bellwether drummed her hove-fingers on the giant desk before her. A huge window making up an entire wall behind her chair illuminated the sunset in the background. Yellowish orange light made the whole room shine with a tint of gold.

Bellwether glared at the assassin spy sitting in front of her desk. Picking up an container of water on her desk, she poured herself and the assassin a cup. She slide the cup over to the goat, and he took a gulp.

She said, "So, if I heard you correctly, you thought the person you shot had been that fox?" It took so much effort for her not to put a knife through the goat's throat. She'd asked him to do one, simple job, and that was too kill Nick Wilde. And now he comes back to her saying he killed the wrong person (which she'd been knowing before the assassin told her; the incident was all over the news)!

Bellwether clenched her jaw. "Tell me your excuse, Cain, as to how the fuck you could've mistaken a wolf for a fox?" If he didn't give her a good excuse... she was just glad she had all the security cameras shut down in her room.

Cain gulped, fearing the worst for his life. "Ma'am, it was dark outside and I could only see silhouettes, besides, it was my partner who ordered me to shoot, he's the one confirmed that it was Nick Wilde."

She slammed her hooves on the desk, some of the materials on it shook. "I don't care what your partner confirmed!" She wailed. Bellwether then pointed a finger at him. "I hired you to one simple, little task, and that was to kill a God-forsaken fox. And as a trained assassin, that should be child's play, right? But what do you do instead, screw up the whole job while slowing down my plans!"

"Bellwether-"

"That's _Mayor_ Bellwether to you, swine." She hissed, teeth clenched.

"Mayor Bellwether," Cain corrected himself, "if you give me a second chance, I promise I will have that fox dead by tomorrow." She could hear the fear in his voice, and it excited her.

Her eyes softened a bit. "You know, Cain, I'm that kind of sheep who always believes in second chances, but, unfortunately, you don't have time for a second chance." She said. Her voice sounded sweet, charming actually. Bellwether could see the fear moving from his voice to his eyes. Her sweet grin widened. _You should be scared._

"What-what do you mean, ma'am?" Cain asked, he slowly moved a hand to his waist, where a pistol hanged strapped on his belt. "What do you mean by "you don't have the time for a second chance."

Bellwether chuckled a cute chuckle. "Well, what I meant to say was, Cain, your already dead." In half a second, Cain had his pistol out, aimed at the mayors face.

"I don't think so, sheep." He said, his hands trembling as he gripped his pistol. "Your going to let me walk out of this room, and your not going do anything to stop me, or else your dead."

Bellwether waved a hove. "Go ahead, your nothing but a walking corps now."

Ice ran up his veins, and his whole body began to feel like jellow. He loaded his gun, and, hopping out of his chair, slowly backed away from Bellwether's desk. "Don't play games with me, sheep, I'll kill you. I swear."

"Good-bye, Cain." She waved.

Fear stricken, Cain quickened his pace to the door and-

The goat's pistol slipped from his hand and fell to the marble floor. He then clutched his throat with his hoof and his feet slip from under him. His whole body began twitching and squirming, and his eyes went blood shot. He glanced at Bellwether, who was laughing from her desk. "What... did you do... to me!" He yelled out, and lungs closed on him. His body was turning on him. And at that moment, the answer became clear. _She poised me, but when..._

The water he gulped down. She'd never took one sip of it through their whole conversation. How could he be so dumb. He should've smelt the water before drinking it. A tear ran down the goat's cheek. _Is this really how it's going to end._ Unfortunately, it was.

Bellwether continued to watch in pure excitement as the goat died in agony. He curled up in a fetal position, his body still twitching and retching. A drop of blood leaked through his nose, and a tear down his cheek. And then, Cain stopped moving completely, he was gone. He was dead.

Bellwether ambled toward the goat's body, staring at it. His face was stuck in a scream positon, and his eyes were glossy from tears. _Stupid assassin; it thought he would've noticed the poison I put in his drink._ Bellwether shrugged it off as if it were nothing.

Slipping on a pair of gloves, Bellwether grabbed Cain's pistol and aimed it at the giant window of her office, and pulled the trigger. The sound of the glass shattering jumped around the room. She then aimed the gun at Cain's head, and shot. Parts of the goat's brains splattered on the marble floor.

She smiled at her work. _This should do._ The sheep got on her knees, and began to scream and sob. The security busted inside the office, and were shocked at what they saw. To them, Cain had been sniped, to Bellwether, it was taking out the trash.

* * *

 **So, what do you think? Tell me in the review.**


	6. Hated By The Citizens

_4:30 pm. Central Way._

* * *

She hated watching ZNN. Ever since predators started going savage, she couldn't bare to glance at the God forsaken channel. Every single day there would be another savage attack announced on ZNN, and a wave of guilt flooded her soul, drowning it. She couldn't even remember the last time she'd actually smiled—or laughed. If she did smile, it would be a fake. And some observant mammals would see through that forced smile like glass, but say nothing of it. Judy was grateful for that. Her mother, of course, was one of those observant mammals. Every morning, when Judy prepared herself for work, gazing at herself in the mirror, she'd scowl whenever her violet eyes fell on her golden badge. After what she'd said on the podium, after all the suffering she'd put predators through, she didn't feel worthy of it. So she would think to herself: _you earned this badge, Judy. you're a tryer_. Talking to her mother over FaceTimehad helped slightly, but it hadn't shaken all the guilt from her soul.

With the all the self-loathing crushing her shoulders, Jamal's death hadn't help her at all . Two weeks had flew by since the wolf officer's funeral, and the sorrow still tormented her spirit like it had happened yesterday. Sometimes… Sometimes, late at night, in her apartment when she felt as if the guilt would swallow her whole, she would question her reason of living. And if she should just end it right there. _Why not_ , she had thought once. Because of her Zootopia was in ruins. Because of her, Jamal would no longer howl in dark hours of the night. Because of her, Nick…

No. _No._ She couldn't even say or think that name without needing to empty her stomach. That name, the person it belonged to… She'd broke and tortured him worse than what she did to the city. She'd betrayed him, lied to him, and destroyed him—him and his soul. It's what stopped her from going to Nick the day after Jamal's funeral; she was too ashamed to face him.

That person she'd killed had a dream: to be more than a fox. And she believed in it too. _Nick—you are so much more than that_ , she had said to him, when he shared his story of how he was betrayed and lied to by the members of the scouts. When they strapped a muzzle on him and mark and teased him for what he was: a fox. She believed he could be more than that: be a cop. But she, too, deep down inside, felt doubt that he could—and she feared him. And demolished his heart when she said those four words. Those four simple words. _I can't trust you_ , and she ran away from him. Leaving him in tears.

And Judy Hopps was almost in tears herself as she drove down central way with her assigned car, rain sliding down the windshield as the window-wipers washed the water away. Judy had built a dam within herself to stop from sobbing. _You buried that Judy Hopps, remember. She's gone just like... him._ She slowed stopped the car at a traffic light that glowing red.

When Nick had said… _I need your help_... She didn't... She couldn't... The words still clawed at her mind. Whispering. Refusing to go away until she helped him—Nick. _I need your help._

The traffic light shined green, and she slowly continued to drive.

 _I need your help_. Maybe she should visit him again, and ask what did he needed her helps so badly for. _Don't_ , her instincts said. _He'll kill you for what you did_ _to him. He wants revenge, and you know it_. She did. _Don't trust him_. She had trusted those ancient instincts—whispers— all her life, the ones that kept driving her away from Nick, and kept her safe. _But now look where they got her. Look how they affected the city._ _Don't go_. Those instincts said. _Don't go_. They kept repeating that until they almost made her lose her control of her car. She clenched the steering wheel of the car. "Shut up." She hissed through her teeth.

 _Don't go. He's a con artist, he'll—_

She slammed her paw on the steering wheel, the car swerved a bit. "Shut up." _You can't trust him._ "Shut up. Shut up, shut up, shut up!" She kept bounding on the steering wheel, not paying attention to the road. "He's my friend, and… And I love him." _You're a bunny and he's a fox… Your natural enemy's._ "Shut the fuck up!"

 _He clawed you through anger and hatred... you almost bled to death! What's your excuse for that?_ She didn't want to listen to those ancient whispers any more. Though they were right.

 _You can never trust him, you can never love him! Do you understand!?_

 **"SHUT UP!"**

A black Porsche raced past Judy's car like a bullet, honking its horn mockingly as it speeded down central way. A street racer.

At the shock of the sudden event, Judy almost slammed into a parked car on the side of the road; she had been lucky to have not crashed. The whispers disappeared, and she refocused herself on her job: stop the speeding vehicle.

Months of intense training had Judy activating the siren and slamming her powerful foot on the gas peddle in a matter of seconds. She barely even realized her actions.

She needed this. She needed this chase to distract herself from all the negativity of her life. So without another thought, Judy accelerated the cop car toward the street-racer. And for that single moment, she felt the weight of agony, sorrow, and guilt lift from her shoulders. She almost smiled for real this time; she actually felt like a cop.

She was having so much fun that she almost forgot to pick up the radio and speak, "stop the vehicle now." She made sure to make herself sound cruel.

The driver held his middle finger out the car—looked like a leopard's finger. Judy smiled evilly. "That's how you want to play?"

She spoke into the radio again. "Stop the vehicle, or I'll stop you by force."

Judy could've sworn she heard the driver say, "try it, bitch." She didn't care, because she was trying either way.

Pushing the police car to its limit, Judy raced to car. Once she was only mere yards from it, she sped up and hit its back. The black car swerved, rain water hissed as it flew through the air.

The black Porsche gained control of itself and continued to speed down the road. It drifted, making a turn down a different street. Judy followed him without error, drifting, her car leaving a trail of air-born rain-water behind itself.

Judy picked up her radio again. "This is your final warning. Stop the vehicle, now!" The Porsche drifted, making another turn. Judy almost lost him that time. She dodged a parked car and speeded toward the street racer.

"Enough." She whispered to herself, and rolled down her window. Water came racing into her car and onto her face. She squinted her eyes to get a clearer view. Grabbing her pistol, she held it outside her police car, aiming for the wheels. _Goggles would be really helpful right now_. True. The rain water felt like nails penetrating her eyes, but she could still see the thick, black, rubbery tires.

She took a second to aim her pistol—which contained only five bullets. She kept a tight grip on the steering wheel, praying the driver wouldn't make another sharp turn. She shot once, but the only result was a spark on the concrete. Four more bullets left. _Damn it._

She shot again. The bullet punctured the bumper. _Three more left._

She shot again, but her paw came lose on the steering wheel, and the car swerved. She didn't even see where the bullet hit. Two more. _Come on. Come on._ She took a few seconds more before she shot again. The bullet went flying through the back window of the driver's car, and it shattered. Judy gazed through the driver's shattered window to get a good look at the mammal inside. Her guess was right: a leopard, who looked slightly panicked.

Eyes on the street, the leopard slipped a pistol from his pocket, and blind-fired. Judy wiped her head back into her car the moment the driver pulled out the gun.

Her ears twitched as cracks formed in the bulletproof-windshield and dents formed on the hood of the car; too close to the engine. And for some reason, Judy found herself starting to panick. Granted she'd never been shot at before, but… With ever bang of the driver's pistol an image of Jamal's bloody corpse flashed in her head. She felt her stomach lurch, and she almost vomited. _No, don't focus on that—not now._

Mercifully, the banging stopped. _He must've ran out of bullets, perhaps._

Judy took that single chance by gripping the steering wheel and pocking her head out the window again. She aimed at the tire, glancing at the back window she's shattered, making sure the driver didn't attempting to blind-fire again. One more bullet. One last shot. One last chance. _Make this count, Judy_. She would.

The bunny didn't dare blink as she aimed at the tire, trying to ignore the rain water stinging her eyes.

Suddenly, the driver held out his pistol again. He had reloaded his gun. Shit. _Shit._

One last chance. Judy pulled the trigger before the driver did and—

Sparks exploded on the left side of the car, and the black Porsche swerved as if a drunk mammal were driving it. As a result of the shredded tire, the car slowed down greatly, and couldn't go three feet without turning in strange directions. But… The driver was still going.

 _He really doesn't know when to quit, does he?_ She picked up the radio again. "Stop the vehicle, now! You have nowhere to go, your done!" The driver continued to speed down the road.

She groaned in frustration. Just when Judy slammed her foot on the gas petal, the black Porsche began to slow down and eventually came to a halt on the side of the road.

"Well, that was fun," she whispered to herself and parked behind the car. She stepped out, and her whole body and police uniform were instantly soaked by the pouring rain.

Carefully, she slowly stalked toward the Porsche, clutching the taser on her belt. The driver pulled down his window, his face twisted with rage. "Hello, _officer_ _Hopps_." The leopard spat her name like it was acid on his tongue.

Judy ignored his vicious tone. "Sir, may I see your driver's license." It wasn't a question.

Whispering something under his breath, he took his wallet in his paw, slipping his license out. He handed it to her, not even bothering to make eye contact. "Here." He said, putting it straight in her face.

Judy's eyebrows arched and she snatched the license from the leopard's paw, nose twitching. She glanced at it, studying it.

Benjamin Jackson was his name.

She didn't bother handing Ben back his license. Ben's eyes lingered on his license as Judy took it in her belt pocket. "Benjamin Jackson, you are under arrest."

The leopard smirked when she said arrest.

The predators reaction sent chills up her spine. She gripped her taser so hard she was sure it would leave imprint on her paw. "Please step out of the—"

The leopard slammed the car door in her face before she could finish her sentence. Judy lost her balance and fell on the wet asphalt.

Benjamin had already got out of his car when Judy fell. He lunched at her, claws out.

The bunny's heart skipped a beat. Judy didn't think, she acted. She had her taser gun in her paw in half a second. She aimed and—

Someone snatched the weapon away from her paw, throwing it across the street. Judy's head wiped in the direction to where the paw came from, and her eyes widened in horror. Two predators—a jaguar and cheetah—stood behind her, hate written on both their faces.

"You guys came just in time." Ben said.

And before Judy could react, Ben and the cheetah tackled her, pinning her to the ground by her arms and legs. She was trapped. _This was a trap_. She suddenly realized it. _They lured me here. But why? Why?_

Judy squirmed in the predators' grasp like a fish out of water. "Unhand me, now!" She wailed, her tone angry. "You'll all go to pr—"

The black jaguar shut her up, tying a white clothe over her mouth, and tightening it almost to the point of crushing her jaw. He stared at Judy with hatred dancing in his eyes, punching her straight in the face out of spite. Judy groaned under the clothe, a bruise blossoming on her right cheek.

She glared at the jaguar, struggling against her kidnappers. But she stopped when the black predator slipped a knife from his pocket, kneeling down and stroking her cheek with the sharp, cold metal of the blade. "Hey, there." The predator greeted, his tone smoothred in hatred and... Madness. _What horrors did you three have to go through to make such a risky plan._ Kidnapping an officer... That could result in a death sentence. And yet, here she was, at the mercy of three angry predators. She had never been so scared in her life.

The jaguar continued, his tone becoming more enraged with each passing second. "You know, Officer Hopps, there was once a time when I had a wife and a couple of kids to love, to have a future with." He chuckled insanely, putting dangerous pressure on the blade. A speck of blood ran down the bunny cheek, leaving a red trail in its path. Tears of fear burned Judy's violet eyes. "Y-you know what happened to them, you bitch?" Judy felt the blade tremble against her flesh, digging deeper into her ckeek. _God, please help me._ She prayed, her heart hammered at her rib-cage. "They're all dead, mangled by some low-life prey. I-I wasn't there to protect them." A tear ran down the predator's cheek, and then a sob.

Although Judy feared and hated the jaguar, she couldn't help but feel twinge of sympathy for him. He had lost his whole family.

The predators that were holding Judy in place looked at each other, concerned. "And you know who's to blame for that, right? Now that I have you—the one who caused so many other predators to experience miserable life's—, I'm going to make you suffer the same way my family did." He ran the knife down Judy's cheek, slicing her flesh.

"Lucky me—nobody's on the street today, so I can make you scream as loud as I want you to." He retraced the cut on her cheek. And Judy almost screamed at the burning sensation running through her face.

Her violet eyes burn with tears. But not from pain, though, but from guilt. _I'm sorry_. She wanted to say. _I'm so sorry—I never wanted this to happen. I just—I wanted to make a difference in the world._

"Let's get started." The half-insane jaguar said, removing the knife from her cheek and letting it hover over her stomach.

 _You have to escape_. Those ancient whispers called her instincts said. She needed to escape—and fast. _But how? How, how, how? How!?_

Through the black panic consuming ever vein—ever muscle—in her body, she noticed Ben loosened his grip on her leg and arm, probably distracted by his partners crazy behavior. _Take it, Judy. Your opening—take it!_ Once she chose to ignore to follow any orders her instincts gave her from then on, but now was a matter of life and death. She didn't hesitate for one second to listen. She acted—fast.

Almost unnaturally fast, she yanked her leg and arm from the leopard's paw. Ben didn't even have time to react before Judy tripped him with her powerful leg.

Ben hit head first on the hard, grey, cold ground with a _thump_!

She then used her free arm to snatch the knife from the Jaguars paw and ran the sharp blade across his obsidian face. The black predator fell on his ass, screaming bloody murder as scarlet fluid ran down his face.

 _One left._

The cheetah released his grasp on Judy, and lunged with its sharp, powerful claws.

 _Survive_. That was the only word that bashed against her skull. Survive.

Judy swung the knife, and the sharp blade made contact with fur, flesh, and bone. The cheetah screamed so loud his vocal cords strained, tears of agony streamed down his face. He clutched his middle finger, or at least, where his middle finger used to be.

Judy didn't have time to suck in the horror of her actions when Ben slammed his foot into her back. The bunny tumbled to the asphalt, hitting her bruised cheek, and the knife clattering across the street.

Ben made swiftly to step on her head, in an attempt to kill her. Judy dodged so quickly Ben barely saw her move.

Using her abs, she flipped herself up and kicked Ben in-between his legs. The leopard howled in pain, falling to his knees. Judy jumped, and performed a rowed-house kick she'd taught herself to do. Ben's body hit the concrete, silent, unconscious.

Judy panted from anxiety as she checked Ben's silent form. She touched his (neck) pulse, checking. _Still alive_. Good.

She heard a growl from behind her, and her head wiped in the direction of the sound. The jaguar was standing on his two feet, a scar running across his face. "I'm going to kill you, cunt!" He growled, rows of sharp teeth flashed.

He lunged so fast Judy didn't have time to react before he kicked her—hard. She slammed into Ben's car bumper with a dent and a crack. She fell on the asphalt, groaning in agony. A tear slid down her cheek.

The jaguar picked her up by the neck, tightening his grip so hard Judy thought her neck would brake. She kicked and punched thin air as he slammed her into the back of the car, a dent forming underneath her. Judy's vision went blurry. "Let me… Go." She gasped out. Her eyes rolled back into her sockets, and her lungs screamed for air.

The jaguar didn't say a word, and continued to choke her. She couldn't breath, she couldn't breath. _No, not like this. Not like this._ She panicked as the world began to turn black and her lungs began to give out. She was going to die. _Die._

That word made something inside her snap, something animal. Something ancient... Ancient but not whispers. Judy suddenly found herself biting down on the Jaguars paw, so hard that she tasted blood. The black predator shrieked and released his grip on her, but even then, Judy didn't stop biting. She had no control of herself. She had went savage in that short moment. Her body was realigning on instinct, not logic.

The jaguar danced around screaming and shaking his paw, desperately trying to throw Judy off. But to no effect. As a final attempt, he punched her straight in the face once again. The rabbit went flying and landed in the middle of the street—thank God no cars were out today.

Her vision was fuzzy for a second, but cleared the next. When she glanced at the jaguar, she'd almost vomited on the spot. His finger was practically dangling from his paw, and his blood—his blood was every where. Even on her uniform—and in her mouth. She spat a couple of times but the taste didn't leave. His blood tasted like shit. And predators used to eat this stuff three thousand years ago? How?

She would probably ask Nick that question sometime. _Nick_. A pit formed in her stomach _._ The four simple words he'd said clawed at her mind. _I need your help_.

 _No, Judy. Not now—don't focus on that right now._

And she was right. She hadn't even noticed that the insane jaguar was running at her on all fours. Screaming like he was burning in the pit of hell. He jumped up, with his teeth sharp and deadly claws.

Time moved in slow motion.

She was frozen in fear. She couldn't move or speak or breath. She was trapped within herself. Until she saw an object beam in the corner of her eye. A knife.

She reached out for it, disgusted by the other predators' blood stained on it. But she pushed the thought aside, focusing in the situation at paw.

Out of instinct, she put the knife out in front of her and slammed her eyes shut. The jaguar was too close and she had nowhere to run. She could only accept fate.

The jaguar was too close to dodge the knife...

Time began to move at its normal pace again, but to Judy's demise.

She saw darkness and she also felt heat and liquid. But for the heat, it slowly began to fade and turn to coldness. Unlike the heat, the liquid stayed warm, and it smelled familiar. It smelled like the blood that poured from Jamal's body when he was shot dead, and was shot five more times. The smell made her sick to her stomach, and she almost puked. That's until she noticed the fur pressing against hers. Black, thick fur. Fur that belonged to a jaguar who wanted her dead, who wanted revenge for his dead family. And then she felt the weight on top of her, and her mind went into a state of panic. She wasn't panicking because of weight pressing against the concrete, but the object she held in her paw. A knife. But she couldn't see the blade. She couldn't see anything. She could only see darkness, and feel the warm liquid staining her fur.

Judy scrambled from under the heavy mass of fur, using all the strength in her little body. She eventually slipped out—she stared in horror at the corpse before her. The black jaguar—a knife planted in his chest, straight on the heart. The same knife she used to defend herself.

Judy's knees began to tremble, as if she would fall flat on her face at any second. She glanced over at the two other predators. They were unconscious. Ben from her round-house kick, and the cheetah from blood loss, she hoped.

rain began to fall rapidly, and Judy glanced at the water-blood ran down the street, into the sewers. An image of Nick's corpse took the place of the jaguar. It came to her so clearly: the gun he used to commit suicide with stayed gripped in his cold paw; a constant flow of blood running from his head and onto the streets; the bits of pieces of his brain that flew out of his skull when he shot—

Judy vomited all over the asphalt. She fell to her knees and continued to empty her stomach, retching. She was a murderer. She was supposed to be a cop. Not a murderer. _I wanted to protect the citizens', not kill them—not predators._ She peed herself, sobbing.

She stopped vomiting, mercifully. But she sobbed and sobbed for hours on end. She was a murderer. _I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer!_ She kept repeating those words in her head, eyes wide. She tucked herself in her knees and rocked back and forwards. The joy she received from talking to her mother vanished, as if the conversation had never happend. "Mom. Nick. Please, help." She whispered out, over and over again.

* * *

When the police finally came, thanks to an young raccoon accidentally running into the crime scene, they found the rabbit officer sobbing in a pool of blood that was not her own. Ben and the cheetah were immediately arrested, but the jaguar—


	7. Beautiful Flames, Suicide Rescue

**I'm planning on posting deleted chapters soon, so look out for those. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

When the doctors agreed to finally let him out of the hospital, Nick practically raced out the door. With the ZPD paying for his medical bill he didn't have get sidetrack from his main objective: finding Judy.

Nick sprinted down the side walks of Zootopia, every breath like shards of glass in his chest. He ran into a few mammals—who were prey, of course—without saying sorry or even glancing back at them. They cursed at him and yelled. He didn't care about what the people thought of him as he ran, he only cared about Judy. He didn't care that she hated him; he didn't care that she feared him; he didn't care that she abandoned him and lied to him twice. He only cared about seeing her again and hugging her slender body—and maybe… Just maybe kissing her, for the joy that it would be worth. He loved her. _I love her_. And nobody would take her away.

But that day, the day before he had been confirmed healed by the doctors, his heart had been shattered when ZNN announced that Judy was been attacked—and almost killed. The channel may have not shown a picture or a video of the crime scene ( _the image is too violet for some viewers_ , the news reporter had said) but the description they gave was enough to bring Nick so close to the point of vomiting on his hospital bed. _During the crime, Officer Judy Hopps_ _murdered one of the three predators out that attacked her out of self-defense. It had been with a knife one of the predators—a jaguar—had tried to kill her with._ When the news report had said that… Nick could've sworn he heard the bunny's sobbing from his room. Judy—Judy Hopps—had _killed_. That sweet, innocent bunny had took a predator's life and, according to the news reporter, her fur had been stained with jaguar's blood.

Nick knew when he saw her again, she wouldn't be that same bunny he'd always known and loved; she would be glass vase, that was shattered becuase of the guilt and shame that piled on her shoulders. The thought made his eyes burn.

The ZPD was only one block away, and Nick could already feel the butterflies in his stomach. _What do I say when I see her?_ He never bothered to think that far, he was too excited.

Nick's arm suddenly shot to his nose and he began coughing violently. He felt something thick and toxic blind his sense of smell—and breathing became difficult. _Smoke?_ He thought. He glanced up toward the sky, and behind the building that blocked his view of the ZPD, he saw smoke.

 _Another riot, perhaps?_ No. There wouldn't be a riot in the middle of the day, right? He didn't hear any cursing or gunshots or the sound of thousands of raging footsteps. He could only hear the cracking of fire and sirens and… Screaming.

Nick didn't waste another second guessing what was happening, he ran. He ran, ignoring the smoke that pierced his lungs. With every inch he closed between him and the ZPD, the smoke became less bearable, and breathing felt like swallowing sacks of sand.

He passed the building separating him from the police station, and what he saw next made every hair on his body stand up. The ZPD was ablaze, fire trucks, fire-fighters, and survivors that had escaped the fire surrounded the building. Nick's ears perked when he heard more sirens coming from behind him. Five ambulances came racing past him, at least speeding at about hundreds miles per hour. The second the five trucks parked near the crowd of fire-fighters and survivors, dozens of doctors sprang from them, caring to the injured.

Nick stared at the action happening before him, while, at the same time, searching for Judy. Nothing. He then glanced at the ZPD, the flames of the burning building danced in his emerald eyes. The whole dam structure looked as if it would collapse at any second. Nick prayed— _prayed_ —that Judy wasn't in that hell-lit building.

On the edge, Nick raced to the crowd of survivors and fire-fighters. He pushed his way through, desperately looking for Judy. He scanned his surroundings. Some of the fire-fighters were helping the injured to the doctors and ambulances… While the survivors that weren't severely injured tended to the wounded.

"Judy!" Nick called, pushing through the crowd. His eyes shot left and right as she searched for her. Nothing. "Judy!" He called again, but no response.

He suddenly tripped over someone's foot, and fell on his face. Before he could stand up again, mammals began stepping on him as if he were a pelt. He suddenly felt a jolt of pain race through his tail. Nick yelped, clutching his tail in his paw. He made to stand on his feet again, but a horse shoved him out of the way, sending him back to the ground. He groaned. Someone stepped on him, then another; and another; and another. He put his arms over his face and curled his tail in, but people stepped on it, anyway. He tried to stand up but a hoof crushed his paw, he lost his balance and fell on his back. He screamed, but not loud enough for someone to hear him over the crowd.

Hoof or foot, they all came too fast, and they all crushed him. Bruises began to blossom on his body and his tail felt numb. He screamed but nobody heard him. He was getting trampled. And he couldn't get up. He couldn't get up. He was going t die if this went on any longer. "Help." He said, barely audible.

He screamed, "help!" The foots and hoofs kept coming, kept crushing him. "Help me! HELP!" Nobody acknowledged his cry.

His heart raced in his chest, and his eyes were wide with terror. _There's gotta be a way out. There's gotta be a way out._ But there were non. No escape. Only death. Trampled to death was the only option. No. _No._

"JUDY!" He prayed to the heavens that she heard him. And would somehow save him like she did in the rain forest district.

But they all kept coming. And never stopped. He waited for death.

"HEY, MOVE OUT THE WAY, MAKE SOME SPACE!" A deep, loud, and strong voice yelled, overpowering the other loud sounds and voices that floated through the air.

Almost immediately after the deep voice cut through the crowd like a pair of scissors, the pain, Nick suddenly realized, had subdued to nagging bruises and hissing cuts. The most anguish coming from his tail, which he hadn't protected very well from the many hoof's and feet that smashed it against the ash-covered concrete.

Nick had put himself in a fetal position when he'd thought his life had come to an end and his fate was sealed. Noticing his wasn't smothered by the shadows of hundreds of mammals or stepped on like he was a mere carpet, Nick abandoned his fetal position, outstretching his body and uncurling his tail. The slight movement caused the bruises and cuts implanted on his bare-skin to scream. Nick let out a agonized whimper, twitching. He had just been released from the hospital only to suffer more injuries. What a hero he was.

"Hey, you okay, fox?" The same deep voice that had saved him asked, now hoarse from letting out such a powerful yell.

Nick looked up, and for a second, he was blinded by sunlight gleaming off snow-white fur. His emerald eyes adjusted a moment later. And he was surprised to see an arctic fox kneeling beside him, his expression filled with worry. Nick stared at the canine, and was stunned when he realized what arctic fox wore: a fire-fighter uniform—a heavy black jacket with bright-yellow stripes running across his broad shoulders. The fox only lacked the the large, heavy hat all fire-fighters wore. Nick only wondered, how did this fox manage to stay on the fire-fighter team this long? Especially with all the discrimination and riots and whatnot happening.

"Hey there, red fox, can you speak?" The arctic fox called, snapping his finger in Nick's vision. He also noticed that the fox looked older than he was. If he was to give an estimate on his age, probably in his forties or fifties. The foxes white fur, despite gleaming in the sun like a piece of carrot-gold, had lost some of its color, creating a type of dull, barely noticeable gray on strands of the foxes fur.

Realizing his lingering gaze, Nick ripped his focus from the fox and glanced down at the concrete he'd almost been crushed against by the feet of thousands of mammals. "Yeah—I'm… Fine." He assured, shaking his head to clear his vision or to subdue his shock of finding a fox on the fire-fighter team, he didn't know which. Perhaps both. "I'm fine." He said again, this time looking straight into the arctic foxes emerald eyes. An exact copy of his own.

The arctic foxes expression brightened with relief. "Oh, so you can talk," he chuckled. "Tell me, son: I heard you calling out a name before I saved you, where you looking for someone in particular, perhaps?"

It dawned upon Nick like a brick to the head. Judy… the ZPD… The fire. Nick glanced at the ZPD which was slowly crumbling from the beautiful yet deadly flames tearing it apart. Something deep, deep within told him that Judy was in that blazing police station, screaming for help, trapped. The thought made his blood run cold—so very cold.

"Yes, I was." Nick replied. He glanced around at the dancing flames and the fire-fighters desperately trying to kill the blaze. "Do you know if Judy Hopps escaped the fire or not?" He dreaded the answer he would receive.

The arctic fox put a paw to his chin. "Unfortunately, I can't answer that question for you, son." The fox answered. Panic rising, Nick opened his mouth to say something but the arctic fox beat him to it. "But I do know someone who can." He motioned with his paw for Nick to follow him. "Come with me."

Nick followed the fox without hesitation.

As the arctic fox lead Nick to someone who might be able answer his desperate question, he couldn't help but admire the arctic fox; admire the fire-fighter suit uniform he wore proudly on his back. All his life he had convinced himself that a fox could be nothing more than what the world saw them to be: shifty, untrustworthy. And yet this vulpine had surpassed that, surpassed what the world marked him—marked foxes—as. This fox was a fire-fighter, a hero. Nick could only imagine how many life's he'd saved during his time of working at the fire-house. It amazed him, truly. Maybe this fox would help him save Judy. Nick smiled warmly at that. Then, the smile dropped, and his mind suddenly conjured a question. If this fox could become a fire-fighter, could he do the same and become a police officer? The question lingered in his mind, tugging at the childhood-memory he'd tried so very hard to forget: the young ranger scouts shoving him to the ground, strapping a muzzle on him and mocking him. Nick cringed. Recently, he'd had a nightmare about that same event, but instead of it being the ranger scouts, it was Judy who had assaulted and taunted him. Nick had woken up in tears that night; the nightmare had been so terrifying, and heartbreaking. He hadn't slept well since. Maybe he was scared of trying to become a officer, scared of being rejected because of the mark the world had put on his species: untrustworthy.

Nick glanced at the arctic fox leading him toward the medical tents, a friendly smile plastered on muzzle. Not a sly smile, friendly. He was proud of his accomplishment, this fox, he was proud.

Nick swallowed a lump in his throat. The decision of him becoming a police officer would requiring pondering. And he didn't have time for that. He had to know if Judy was okay. His questions would have to wait. So Nick shrugged off the subject, and continued to follow the Arctic fox.

As the arctic fox lead Nick towards the medical tents, he spotted a male tiger in a fire-fighter uniform walking in their direction, his eyes locked on a clip board he held in his paw.

"Chief Stripes," the fox called, increasing his walking pace. Nick did the same, following, his eyes locked on the tiger. Chief? Nick thought. The fact that a predator was the Chief of the fire-house had Nick cocking his head. After all this discrimination junk, how had he kept a job at such a high ranking?

Nick's emerald eyes flicked to the arctic fox.

How had this fox kept his job? Of all the predators in Zootopia, foxes were receiving the worst treatment—being thrown out of there homes or being ignored by both police and medical facilities. The answer suddenly dawned upon him. Bellwether… She must've let them keep their jobs so the citizens of Zootopia would be fooled into believing she actually cared for predators.

Nick scowled. _That hag_. Despite the deep hatred he held against her, he had to admit, Mayor Bellwether was pretty smart for that.

"Chief Stripes!" The fox called again.

Chief Stripe's cold-blue eyes flicked from his clip-board to the direction of the voice, but his they didn't immediately fall on them. His eyes had looked forward, probably expecting the voice to belong to a bigger mammal, Nick guessed. Then, the Chief's cold eyes finally locked on them, and a frown stretched across his lips. _He hates foxes._ Of course. It was practically written all over the Chief's face—his hatred-filled gaze and disapproved frown.

Years of being treated unfairly gave Nick the ability not to frown himself, but his features remained neutral. And, not to his surprise, the arctic foxes kept that friendly smile on his lips, but the smile did not reach his sea-green eyes.

The Chief asked, annoyed, "what do you want, Azriel?" His voice was deep, and smothered in hidden-hatred.

If Azriel heard the grudge in the Chief Stripes voice he didn't let it show. Azriel said, "Chief Stripes, this fox here," he gestured a paw to Nick. The look in Chief Stripe's eyes darkened when his cold eyes found Nick's burning emerald. "Said he wanted to know if Officer Judy Hopps had escaped the fire or not."

Chief Stripe's expression went from anger to confusion, a brow raised. Nick could read the Chief's face as if he were a telepath. _Why would a low-life fox care for a bunnies_ _well-being?_ Nick, of course, didn't care what the Chief's thoughts were. He just wanted to know if Judy was okay.

The Chief raised the clip-board to his line of vision, scanning it. It looked to be a list of people who were in the building. The clip-board fell back to the Chief's side. His cold eyes locked with Azriel again, and he said, "tell your fox friend, Azriel, that he has to wait until I get the head-count reports. And besides, why are you here anyway?" Azriel's friendly smile wavered. "Aren't you supposed to be helping the others put out the fire? I don't have time for your antics, I have important work to attend."

At the Chief's rejection, Azriel's friendly smile vanished like snow under the hot sun. "But, sir, he—"

The Chief cut him off, firmly. "Get back to work, Azriel! I don't want to hear another word from you." No respect in Chief's tone, not even a fragment. He talked to Azriel as he were addressing a pile of shit.

The Chief then pointed at Nick. "And you, red fox, be a good dog and get yourself checked up." Chief Stripes examined the bruises and cuts and the unnatural position of Nick's tail was in. "You look like your in pretty bad shape." Again, no respect.

The Chief turned his back and ambled away, mumbling under his breath.

Nick clenched his fist at his sides, the neutral expression he had worked so hard to build was destroyed by his rage. "That damn tiger…" He'd came all this way, nearly being trampled to death by thousands of mammals, to save Judy, and now some biased tiger was refuses to answer his question, a simple question.

Anger-driven, Nick marched towards Chief Stripes, his claws unsheathed and his face twisted in rage. If he had to claw the Chief of the fire-house like he did Judy than back then… so be it. He was going to get that tiger to answer his question one way or another. And he didn't care if he got arrested, or even killed, doing it.

Suddenly, an arm covered in snow-white fur blocked his path. Nick glanced at Azriel, the anger in his eyes darkening, transforming into a beast not of his world. " _Move_." He growled, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight.

Azriel didn't flinch at the darkness of Nick's gaze, nor did he move his arm from his path. The arctic fox merely shook his head as an response. "Don't do anything foolish," he advised. "I'll help you find her—and if turns out she's in the fire, I'll help you rescue her."

At the foxes kind offer, the flames of Nick's rage died. It was like a slap to the face. He gave Azriel a surprised look, shocked this arctic fox was willing to come out of his way to make sure she was safe, Judy (though he was kinda expecting the friendly gesture anyway).

He gave Azriel a warm look. "Thank you." Nick said sincerely, placing a paw on the arctic foxes shoulder. "I mean it, too."

Azriel returned the smiled and nodded. He then looked toward the medical tents, also where Chief Stripes heading.

And Nick could've sworn on his grave that he saw a fragment of a scowl posses Azriel's expression at the sight of the Chief. Though, he couldn't blame him—Nick, himself, hated the biased tiger with a passion, and he would gladly ripe the Chief to shreds with his bare claws. "Now," Azriel began. "Most mammals who escaped the fire were sent to the medical tents, so we'll split up and search for her." Azriel turned his gaze from the medical tents—or Chief Stripes, probably both—and looked into Nick's evergreen. "Okay?"

Nick nodded. He guessed that Azriel knew Judy's appearance since… Well, who in Zootopia didn't know of Judy Hopp's appearance.

Suddenly, Nick and Azriel's ears perked up at a panicked voice, yelling, "Chief Stripes! Chief Stripes!" The voice belonged to a rhino fire-fighter, running frantically with a sheet of paper in his paw. "We did a head count on all the survivors," the rhino informed, " and we've received the results."

At the news, Nick's eyes widened. He walked forward a few steps, listening in better on the urgent news.

Chief Stripes replied, calm and stern, "good, Longhorn. What were the results?"

The Longhorn's hazel eyes fell on the paper held in his paws, scanning. "All but one escaped, sir." The rhino said, his features painted in dread.

"And whom is that unfortunate mammal?" Chief Stripes asked, his expression showing as much emotion as the face of a stone.

"Yes, enlightened us, Longhorn." Nick whispered, barely a sound. Bile built up in his throat, his heart hammering at his rib-cage. "Please."

"Officer Judy Hopps."

Nick's heart stopped. His head swiped in the direction of the the burning ZPD. Judy was in there… In that burning hell. Sobbing, screaming for help—dying even. Burning alive. His pupils shrank to grands of sand and his paw began to shake uncontrollably.

 _This has to be a dream_. But the feeling of Azriel's paw falling on his shoulder confirmed it—this was no dream, this was real.

"Nick?" The arctic fox said, worried.

"No." Nick breathed. _NO. No. No, no, no, no. No!_ _This…_ _This can't… Please._

She was in that burning hell. He had to save her. He had to.

Without giving Azriel another glance, Nick ran with all his might. He was fast—faster than Azriel, who chased after him, telling him to stop what he was doing. Nick didn't listen. He ran past all the fire-fighters surrounding the blazing building, five of them each holding one of the ten powerful water hoes's. Some of the fire-men abandoned their post to chase the fox, like Azriel did. But their heavy, yellow and black jackets, slowed them down greatly, allowing Nick to out-run them with ease.

Nick ran up the barely-intact-steps that lead to the entrance of the ZPD. And dived into the beautiful, yet deadly, flames of the blaze. The fox then vanished.

Azriel, like so many of the other fire-fighters, was frozen in shock. That red fox had practically took his own life. At the despair of the situation, the arctic fox did the only thing he could do: pray.

* * *

"Judy!" Nick called through the vicious flames and black smoke. "Judy Hopps!" He could only see orange beautiful death climbing up the walls of the police station and the ceiling. The marble floors were scorching hot, Nick had to clench his teeth with every step he took to keep from crying out in agony. His feet were being tortured.

Not to mention the bruises that were scattered under his red fur. With every movement they would send a jolt of pain running through his nervous system and to his brain.

God curse him, but he was starting to regretting trying to save Judy from this burning hell. The smoke... The pain... Was becoming too much to handle.

The fox walked through the fire. "Judy!" His throat was dry from the ash floating in the air.

His emerald eyes snapped to multiple doors—somehow still intact—running a hallway. Six doors in total. He ran toward the hall, dodging sticks and stones and shards of glass that fell from the roof.

As he ran to the hallway, he suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot through his left shoulder. He looked at it, and found a shard of glass had pierced his skin. He hissed as he pulled the shard out, doing it quickly for times sake. He had to find Judy. Nick got the glass out of his shoulder and tossed it to the side.

He entered the hallway and quickly scanned the five doors. His ears perked up at the first door on the right that said "Smaller Mammals; Office Area".

 _She has to be in there._ He went to open the door, grabbing the silver knob and—

He cried out in pain, clutching his right paw to cool it down. The door-knob was red-hot, heated up by the butchering flames of the ZPD.

Nick reached out to open the door again, clenching his teeth so hard his jaw ached. His paw made contact with the hot-as-hell-knob, and he whimpered. He pushed the door with one strong thrust, and it swung open, hitting the wall behind it. He clutched his paw again and blew on it.

He entered the room.

The whole office area was covered in a blanket of flames—nothing remained of it. Nick took as many steps as he dared near the fire. "Judy!" He called, his throat raw.

Nothing—not a single response. _Where are you?_

His hope slowly dwindled away, tearing at his will. Determined, he pushed the growing despair deep, deep within himself, until he felt nothing. He wasn't going to give up. So he checked the other five rooms, screaming whenever he touched the red-hot door-knobs, and would call Judy's name at the top of his lungs. But he would get the same result: nothing.

By now, tears clawed at Nick's eyes, crushing the little hope he had left. "Where are you, Judy?" His eye suddenly caught another hallway across the building, eight doors implanted on the walls.

So he ran across the building, to another hallway with eight different rooms. Three pieces of debris had pierced holes in his body—his right shoulder, his leg, and a spot on his neck so dangerously close to his throat—but he shrugged off damage. He would survive this fire, for her, he would.

Nick came to the first door on the right, and took in a deep breath, preparing himself for the door-knob to scorch his fur and skin. But when he reached for it, he heard something.

"Help!"

His head wiped to the last door on the right, which said "Lieutenant Hopps".

"Somebody, please!"

It was Judy. It was her—the bunny he loved.

He ran for the door and twisting the door knob, not even noticing burning sensation running through his paw. He door swung open, and Nick's pupils shrank to grans of sand.

Judy lay on the marble floor of her office, tied in titanium cables from her neck to feet.

 _What the hell—_

"Judy!" The name charged through his shock and anger. Who had tied her up? Didn't matter right now. A question for another time.

The fire was so dangerously close to her. Nick had to wrap his fractured tail around his waist. The relief of seeing Judy was okay acted as a painkiller for Nick's damaged tail. He sprinted as fast as he could toward her, his lungs screaming in pain—the smoke had gotten thinker since he entered the bunnies office.

Judy whole body was faced away from him as she sobbed and cried for help. Nick actually found himself surprised that she didn't hear him—granted the cracking of the flames were loud, and the debris falling to the marble floor sounded like an avalanche running down a mountain.

Kneeling, Nick examined the ropes for as much time as he dared. _Titanium cables? Of course, so she couldn't use the fire to escape the ropes._ Whoever had done this wanted to make sure she would die, in agony, too.

The fox gingerly placed his paw on the bunnies droopy ears, whispering, "Judy, it's okay." Judy's sobbing sowly died down. And even through the loud cracking of the flames and the falling debris, he heard her whisper, "Nick."

He couldn't tell if her tone was fear or relief—maybe both. He prayed it wasn't fear. He didn't want her to fear him—not anymore.

"I'm going to get you out of here." Nick said, his voice calm, as if there weren't fire surrounding them. "Okay?"

He rolled her over, so he could look into those beautiful violet orbs.

Judy stared at him.

At that moment, they both traveled back in time. Nick sitting in his hospital bed, abruptly woken up, with Judy staring back at him. Both their souls broken. And their eyes lifeless.

Non of them so much as blinked, green and violet. Fox and bunny. Male and female. Predator and prey. All those characteristics and traits mixed together to form one being, one bond. And their hearts beat in unison.

The world came back too fast—the fire, the dread, and despair all came crashing into both mammals minds.

They both gasped, shocked. Nick almost tumbled over.

 _Focus, Wilde! Focus!_

Judy wailed, "what are you doing here, you idiot!? This is suicide!" The shock and relief in her violet eyes vanished as fast as it came, and were replaced by sheer rage. But her question fell on deaf ears.

"Nick!" She demanded, wanting an answer to his stupid actions.

He ignored her.

Nick clawed at the titanium cables, but to no avail. Not even a scratch formed on the surface. _Damn it!_ He grasp one of the cables in his paw and clamped down on it with his sharp teeth. He bit down so hard he could hear his teeth groaning. After a minute of gnawing at the rope, he unlatched his teeth from the cables. He looked if any damage had been done. Nothing. The only thing that received damage was his jaw. _Damn! I'm just going to have to carry her out then._

"Nick!" Judy's panicked voice knocked him out of his thoughts. "The roof!"

The fox glanced up and—

He grabbed Judy in his arms and barrel-rolled away from the falling debris. The caved-in-roof hit the floor with a roar, sparks and ashes flying everywhere.

Nick curled his body around Judy's, protecting her. A shard of wood pierced his middle back. He hissed, tightening his grip on Judy. Warm liquid ran down his back, staining his green shirt.

The shard of wood had went deep into his back, deep enough to cause him to bleed out . Shit. _Shit._ They had to get out—and quick.

Nick uncurled himself enough to look into Judy's violet eyes. "You okay?" He asked, calm, despite the pain pounding at his back.

Judy stared at him, her eyes filled with fear, and her nose twitching like crazy. She nodded. "Y-yeah."

Nick scanned his surroundings. The fire was almost climbing up every wall in the building, and so much debris had fallen he couldn't even see the marble floors. Cinder and wood and stone were all that remained. Not only that, but the whole ZPD was literally groaning and rocking—the whole building was going to fall apart. But they could still make it.

Still on his knees, Nick said, "Judy. I'm going to carry you on my shoulder, okay? I need you to be my ears in case any more debris fall in on us."

She nodded, glancing at the fire closing in on them. But then said, "but we won't make it. The fire… It's—"

Nick cupped Judy's face in his paws. "We'll make it, Carrots, I promise." It was so tempting to lean in and kiss her. Her eyes were so beautiful.

 _Focus, Wilde. Focus._

He rose to his feet and threw Judy over his shoulder, running. Running faster than he could imagine. He exited the slim, eight door hallway, and ran for the shattered glass window which lead outside.

The bruises scattered across his body ached with every step, and the cinder and ash littered on the ground burned his feet. Not to mention his raw throat. He was blacking out, and the thick, heavy smoke eating at his lungs didn't help his matter at all—nor did the constant bleeding in his back.

He could still make it. He could still—

A huge pile of wood and stone and glass fell in from of the entrance, blocking the only escape Nick and Judy had.

"No," Judy breathed.

Nick heard her, but shook his head. _We can still make it._

Nick ran up to the fallen the debris, tearing through as much wood and stone without putting Judy down. But it was useless, the pieces of debris were to heavy for him to lift.

His hope choked on despair, dying.

"No." He whispered. "No, this can't be how it all ends." He slammed his fist on the pile of metal and wood. " I can't, damn it!" He had just threw his life away. They were both going to die in agonizing deaths.

"You're right, it's not." Judy said, looking at him through the corner of her eye. "There's another exit, it's on the roof, though." Nick glanced at the roof, not much of it remained. "If the fire hasn't reached there yet, then we still have time."

Nick nodded, determined. Tired, but determined.

Three feet behind a pile of the debris that used to be Clawhauser's desk, were stairs, barely intact, though. _Bingo—that'll do._

Low on energy, he ran as fast as he could.

As he ran for the steps, there was a hissing sound and sparks flew in Nick's face. The fox cried in pain, still running, but clutching his eyes shut.

"Nick, you okay?" She asked, worried.

 _Is she worried? For me?_ A dim light of hope lit up in the despair of darkness in his heart. Maybe there was a chance they could start over.

 _I can't trust you._ He shrugged off the thought.

Running a paw over his face, Nick cracked open his eyes and continued running, saying, "yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." He meant it, too.

They finally reached the half-fallen apart steps. Cracks ran up and down the stair case while chunks of it had fully detached themselves from it.

Nick groaned, inwardly. _I wish we could take an elevator._

He ran up the stair case, and with every step he climbed a groan or a crack sounded from them. From the corner of his eye, Nick saw Judy's nose twitch.

"We'll make it, Carrots," he smiled, albeit fake.

Judy didn't smile back—seeing through his lie.

 _She's too observant for her own good_. And he continued to run up the groaning stairs.

Suddenly, the stairs gave loose from under Nick's feet, and he fell. Judy slipped from his arm.

Both screamed in terror.

Quickly, Nick grabbed the ledge of the stairs that were barely intact. He caught Judy, too, saving her by her leg. His paw may have not been near her chest, but he could still feel her heart pounding.

"I got you, Fluff," he reassured. Even calling her by her nickname.

Nick glanced at the ground below, and gasped. The first floor of the ZPD was completely engulfed in fire, making it look like the pits of hell.

They didn't have long until they were in that fire, burning—dying.

Nick hoisted himself up along with Judy, gasping as he did. Once on semi-solid ground, he took Judy in his arms and sprinted away.

Nick asked, "where is the exit exactly located?" He should've asked that question a while back.

"It's at the way back; there's latter that leads to the roof."

The way back was a long ways from where they were. "Great," Nick groaned.

They reached the second floor, or what was left of it, anyway. Like the steps, cracks and chunks missing were present.

It wasn't until then that Nick noticed his exhaustion. The blood loss, bruises, and smoke were almost to the point of making him fall over. In fact, he fell on one knee, panting like a dog, blood dripping on the singed ground. He prayed Judy didn't see it.

"Nick?" She gave him a worried look from under his arm.

He gazed at her. _She's so beautiful._ It had been at least three weeks since he's seen that face, and yet it felt like the first time. It gave him a little adrenaline.

"I'm fine," he assured, and began sprinting again—slower, this time.

They were going to make it out of this.

Nick glanced at Judy, seeing her worried expression. He assured again, "I'm fine, Carrots-promise." He gave her one of his cocky grins.

This time she smiled back, so weakly.

Mercifully, the second floor didn't cause them any problems, save for Nick hissing in pain occasionally. Judy would give him a worried glance every time, and Nick say the same thing in his mind: _I wonder what's she thinking every time she glances at me like that?_ Didn't matter, not now.

"Nick! The floor!" Judy shouted at the top of his lungs. The fox once again had to barrel roll out of harms way, landing on his back, making sure didn't have any damage. But landing on his back caused the breath to be knocked out of him. He would only have the toxic smoke to breath in.

Nick coughed into his arm violently, his eyes turning bloodshot, his lungs withering away. _I can… Still make it._

He rose to his feet. A narrow hallway, like the one Judy's office was in.

"Right at the end of that hall." She said, pointing.

He could barely jog.

Nick reached the end of the hall, and was met with a metal door that had the word "exit" written on the front. Clutching his teeth, he pushed the door open. That familiar burning sensation ran through his paw. Nick whimpered. Judy gave him another worried look.

The door opened, and right there before them, on the wall, was the latter that lead to the roof.

And somehow, there wasn't any fire in the room—just darkness. _Thank God._

"Let's get out of here," Nick rasped, barely audible.

Judy nodded, worried.

Nick placed his paw on the latter, expecting the piece of metal to burn him. Nothing. He almost sighed in relief.

He climbed up as quick as he could with one paw and Judy in his other arm. A door was at the top, the latch easy to unlock. Nick opened the hatch and sprang out, breath in semi-fresh air and taking in the sun and—

His pupils dilated. The surface of the roof began to tremble, and then an explosion.

"NICK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RUN!"

The ZPD was collapsing, the whole roof caving in.

Nick ran as fast as he could to the edge, jumping and dodging missing pieces of the roof. Sparks and glass and metal and stone were dancing through the air, some of the hitting Nick and Judy. They both hissed in pain.

A gap opened up in the roof. Nick jumped. Judy screamed. The fox made it across by a hair's width.

They arrived to the edge, but to their demise, there wasn't any thing for them to land on—only mammals and concrete and vehicles. "No, no," Judy said, her body trembling.

Nick looked back. _Jumping to my possible death or burning alive_. Shards of the ground he stood on gave away.

He made his decision right then and there. He took a few steps back, as a head start.

"Nick… What are you doing?" Judy asked.

Nick didn't say a word, he ran forward with as much speed as he could gather and jumped off the edge of the roof.

They both screamed as they fell.

People looked up and gasped.

A bunch of fire-fighters ran up to the pair as they fell and—

Because of fear, anxiety, blood-loss, and exhaustion, Nick's world plunged into darkness. The last thing he heard was Judy's screaming going silent.


	8. The Peek of Discrimination and Horror

The ground grew closer with every passing second, and Judy could hear the voices of the wind, reminding them of the painful, quick death they had brought among themselves. Judy wished—no, prayed—that she could grasp Nick's cheeks in her paws and kiss him, kiss him with as much passion she could give. After everything he's done for her, she didn't want to let him die without showing her true feeling for him. Unfortunately, the monster known as fate did not give her that right, almost as if she were being punished for everything she'd put Nick through. And maybe she deserved it. Judy could only scream and clutch Nick's shirt as they fell into Death's waiting hand.

The crowd below them gasped and screamed in horror as the two fell to the concrete like stones. Fire-fighters raced to catch them, but weren't fast enough. At that moment, Nick and Judy were going to die…

When they were just yards from the ground, yards from concrete, yards from death, an orange and black blur scooped them from the air.

The chief of the fire department, Chief Stripes, groaned as the two smaller mammals slammed into his chest, knocking him on his back. He slid across the ash-covered concrete, his arms tightly clutched around the fox and bunny. He eventually came to a stop, boosting himself up with one arm. Numerous fire-fighters came racing toward him, scanning the bunny in his arms as well as their Chief—not the fox.

The chief glanced down at the two mammals he had saved, smiling when he saw Officer Hopps intact. He glanced at the fox, and his face became twisted with disgust. He threw Nick off him as if he were a piece of shit, letting the fox slam on the ground.

 _Damned fox_ , he thought, angrily. Hissing at Nick's unconscious state like a viper. The Chief had a bad experience with foxes. A female fox—arctic—had came to his front door one day in tears, saying she had nowhere to go. When she'd asked to stay over for one night he immediately agreed, being the generous and compassionate and gullible tiger he was. The next morning, when he went to check on the arctic fox, she wasn't there. It wasn't until an hour later that he found out that poor arctic fox had stolen every last dime of his money from his wallet—$700.00. Since that day, he hated foxes.

"Chief Stripes, how she?" One of his fire-fighters asked (a rhino), addressing Judy Hopps—not Nick, not the fox. _What has this city come too?_

* * *

Judy Hopps wasn't alright.

The moment she and Nick crashed into the tiger's chest, the air was pumped from her lungs. Not to mention the titanium cables that were irritating her skin and tearing her uniform. _Great_ —now _I'm going to have to buy me a new uniform... For the third time_. She didn't dare re-think why she had to buy a new uniform the the first and second. _If I dwell in the past, I'll never be able to face the present_. She told herself, repeating her mother's words in her head.

Her muscles were so sore, throbbing. The anxiety and fear must have stole every last drop of energy from her. But despite her soreness, she managed to turn her head over to Nick—her savior; the one that ran into the fires of hell to save her. Nick wasn't beside, instead, he lay on the ash-covered ground, the sun making all the cuts and bruises and singes on his fur—and skin visible.

Judy's ears twitched when she heard the tiger say, "she's alright, Longhorn." He replied to the rhino across from him. He sat up slightly more. Judy felt his abs flecks beneath his heavy, black and yellow jacket. He scooped Judy up in his colossus paws, handing her to the rhino.

Judy gaze fell on Nick, examining the small pool of blood forming around him, all of it coming from the cut on his back—it was a deep, bloody wound made by the stick that had peirced his back. Judy recalled the moment when he'd found her inside her own office, tied up and helpless. And when the roof above them fell in… His arms were around her first before he even barreled rolled away. He cares for me so much, and yet I… She couldn't bring herself to complete that thought, not without sobbing. Not without remembering his sharp teeth and deadly claws. Fear grew inside her heart, fear of him. _He's your friend, Judy_. She reminded herself. And the fear dwindled away.

Longhorn took Judy in his hooves, careful not to drop her slender body.

Chief Stripes ordered, "take her to the medical tents, quickly."

"Yes, sir." Longhorn replied. Judy felt the rhino's hazel eyes fall on the cables tied to her torso. Chief Stripes sea-green eyes found their way to them, too. And he then said, "and tell them to take those cables off her while you're at it."

The Longhorn nodded. "Yes, sir." He said again.

Judy glanced at Nick and back to Longhorn. _Are you just going to leave him there, to bleed out and die_. He was the one who saved her, he was the reason why she's still alive. He ran into the ZPD knowing he could never come out again, but he did it, anyway—for her. _Would I do the same for him if the time came?_ For some reason, that question made her heart bleed. The time came, she noticed, to prove to herself that she still trusted him—loved him. The pool of scarlet liquid around him expanded. She would help him.

The other fire-fighters, that had surrounded Chief Stripes, walked away and tended to their own duties. Longhorn was walking toward the medical tents when Judy mumbled out, "N-Nick." The rhino stopped in his tracks, and his hazel eyes traveled down to her slender form. "What?" He asked, confused.

She tried to glance back at Nick, but she couldn't see him past Longhorn's gigantic form. "The… Fox," she groaned, "Nick."

Longhorn looked over his shoulder, at Nick, and back to Judy. He spat. "Your joking, right? You want me to bring that thing—that… _Fox_ —to the medical tents." Longhorn continued to walk toward the tents. "Nobody would care if that fox survived or not, his species isn't wanted in this city, anymore—come to think of it, there were never wanted in Zootpia in the first place." He chuckled to himself, his footsteps vibrating the ground. "Forget about him, he's going to die, anyway. Besides, what if he suddenly goes savage, that'll put the doctors lives in danger."

If she had the strength, Judy would've punched his giant teeth in. Anger flooded her heart and mind. _He's more than just a fox, bastard._

Despite her anger, Judy gave the rhino a pleading look. "Please…" She gasped, the single, loathing word ate at her hatred and pride. "Save him. He's… The one… Who got me out of there." Longhorn glanced back at the burning ZPD. "He saved my life… Almost sacrificing his own." She chocked on some of the ash in her throat, coughing violently. "Please… You can't just leave him there… Help him."

The rhino glanced back at Nick's bloody, bruised, and singed form. His hazel eyes met Judy's violet, and he sighed. He walked back over to Nick and scooped him up in his toned arms, not bothering to be gentle. The fox unconsciously let out an agonized groan at Longhorn's roughness. Judy felt a sword run through her heart at the agonized sound Nick made, but she still said to the Longhorn, "thank you."

Longhorn snorted. "If this fox goes savage or tries anything clever, you're taking the blame, Hopps, not me—I worked too hard just to lose my job because of some fox."

Judy chuckled lightly. She then passed out in the Longhorn's hoofs.

* * *

As soon as Longhorn arrived to the medical tents, both Nick and Judy were rushed to the hospital, via ambulance. The doctors had hesitated about taking Nick in, worried that he might go savage like so many other predators have, but with some conceiving from the rhino –fire-fighter, they took the fox, hesitant.

It had been a struggle for the doctors but they eventually cut the titanium cords off Judy's torso—with the help of some specially-designed clippers (they were careful not to accidentally gut her with the clippers, the ropes were so tight on her body. Luckily, Judy didn't suffer any major injuries from the fire nor the clippers, only a couple of cuts and bruises. Nick, on the other paw, had to have stitches on his back; he'd lost forty percent of his blood from the stick that had pierced his upper-back in the fire. And his tail, which had almost snapped in two from Nick being nearly trampled to death, was bruised badly—and dislocated. Luckily, they didn't have to shave any of his fur on his tail, but the badges wrapped over his tail were unforgivably tight. Nick's injuries weren't major, but they were enough to assign him four days in the hospital.

Judy two days.

* * *

 _Zootopia Hospital: 6:02 pm._

* * *

Golden light blinded her as she cracked open her violet eyes, light reflecting off her violet eyes, making them shine like diamonds. She groaned as she sat up from the hospital bed, her muscles sore and stiff. She scanned her new surrounding, and wasn't surprised to find herself in a hospital room—a night-stand next to her bed with a tray filled with medical tools; a TV at the upper corner of her room; a window with open blinds on the left side of her, golden/orange light slicing through the white blinds; a door on her right; a vent big enough for her to crawl through across from her bed. Like a normal hospital room.

She sat back in her bed, sighing. She didn't feel any terrible pain in her muscles, bones, or skin, only a nagging soreness. So she must've suffered no major injuries—only minor. _But how long have I been out?_ Her violet eyes flicked to the clock set on her night-stand next to the tray. It read 6:03pm. Last time she'd check the time it was eleven. Seven hours. _I was out for seven hours!_

A white, fluffy blanket was covering her torso, and she didn't feel any of her undergarments. She gripped the blanket and threw it off her, and jolt of pain shooting through her arm. A hospital gown, and no underwear—or bra. Well she felt violated. They could've at least left her undergarments on. _Well, my uniform was torn, for the third time, but striping me of my underwear too is just…_ She sighed. At least the titanium cables are gone. The darn things were uncomfortable.

Judy turned her head to the window, peering out. She was high up, probably the thirtieth floor. And the view of city, which was illuminated by golden rays of the sunset, was alluring in every prospective. But that's until she saw the smoke rising to evening sky in the distance. The fire-fighters had probably put out the fire in ZPD hours ago, and yet the smoke still looked so black and toxic. Deadly. She was lucky to have escaped. Heck, she was lucky Nick saved her.

Judy cringed, remembering being in Nick's arms as he ran through flames and ashes and smoke. She remembered the look in his sea-green eyes when he found her in the fire. His eyes, his emerald eyes, showed sorrow, relief and… And joy. Joy like he had found a billion dollars worth of gold. Joy like he had discovered someone he knew dead had rose from the grave. Maybe she was that dead person Nick knew, loved. Maybe she had risen from the dead when her mother advised her to forgive him.

Judy pulled her hospital gown up until she could see the three clawed marks on her belly. Nick had saved her from an inferno, from death. Shouldn't that be enough to say "I'm sorry", shouldn't it be enough to know that she could trust him again? No, she wouldn't trust him again, not until she heard those words come out his mouth, his attractive voice covering them with regret and sorrow. She wanted him to be sincere. _I'm sorry for what I did to you a month ago_ , he had once said to her, when the emotions of love and hate were tied into a tight, tight knot. Back then, it didn't feel real when he said it, when he forgave her. It felt forced, like he just wanted to throw the conflict between them to the lions den and let it be forever forgotten. Their relationship would never be the same, not after what he did. Not after what he did to her. And maybe her hidden fear of foxes would remain a part of her existence until the day she passed away. Maybe she would forever fear Nick, her friend. Or she could change, they could change. _Until then… Well, until then, the conflict between us will_ _remain undamaged—unchanged._ Some part of her that loved Nick dearly screamed in agony at the idea.

The silver knob of the door rattled, and a nurse appeared in the room, a clip board in her small paw—a sheep. "Good evening, Ms. Hopps." The nurse greeted, her voice soft as the wool on her back.

Judy smiled, for real not fake, and said, "good evening to you, too, Ms…"

The sheep put a hoof to her chest. "Oh, Ms. Shepard, if you may."

Judy nodded. "Ms. Shepard… Thanks." She said, kindly.

Ms. Shepard ambled toward a tray set on Judy's nightstand, taking some of the tools in her hoof. "So far, Ms. Hopps, we've checked and noted your physical health. She said, getting straight to the point. "You're in perfect shape." A fleck of golden light caught the corner of her ocean blue eyes.

The corner of Judy's mouth tugged downward slightly. _Is that why I woke up without my underwear?_ She snorted inwardly. _Doctors—they'll make any excuse to take_ _your_ _clothes off._ It's why she didn't like going to hospital as a kid.

Ms. Shepard said, "Though, I'm going to have to do a couple of test before I deem you 100%, okay? And even then, your going to have to stay in the hospital for a two days." She set her clip board down on the tray, putting some headphones in her floppy ears.

"Two more days!?" Judy almost groaned. "Why do I have to stay that long, didn't you say my physical health was perfect?" She tried to hide the announce in her tone, which she wasn't doing well so far.

"Well," the sheep began," perhaps what I said was an overstatement. The smoke from the fire had did a number on your lungs." She grabbed a metal object that was attached to the earphones, and placed it against the bunnies chest. Judy shivered at the coldness of the object. "If your lungs aren't properly treated, it could lead to fatal results."

The sheep, Judy realized, was right. Until now, she could hear a slight rasping noise in her breathing. Hopefully, she wouldn't catch any virus or something in her lungs.

"Breath in and out for me, Ms. Hopps." Ms. Shepard requested.

Judy did as she was told, expanding her lungs to take in a deep breath and exhaling, letting her chest fall. The abnormal sound in her breath was louder, noticeable. Her throat crispy.

"You hear it now, don't you? It's from the toxic particles in the smoke damaging you're lungs." Ms. Shepard said. "Tell me: how long do you think you were in the fire before you got out."

Of course she didn't mention anything about Nick saving her. "I don't know, an hour… maybe more." She looked down at the white blanket she had pulled over herself to cover her bare legs. She didn't like being nude in front of _anyone_ —not even her parents. It's why she couldn't stand the naturalist club. Which she did wonder, if Nick had taken her there, would that mean he had been in the naturalist club before, naked.

Thinking of Nick without any clothes on his back made the spot between her thighs heat up. She shrugged it off quickly. _Calmed down, Judy—you're probably just… In the_ _mood today._ Yeah, that was probably it. Nick was just a friend, not a… _Oh_ _God_. That single word made her ears glow rose red. _That smoke might've damage more than just my lungs._

The nurse picked up her clip-board from the tray, her pen dancing across the board as she wrote down notes that Judy had no interest in. "That's all I need for today, Ms. Hopps." Ms. Shepard said. "I'll be here tomorrow to check on your lungs. And if you end up with good results, then the doctors might reconsider your assigned two days." The nurse made her way to the door she had came through.

 _Thank, God_ , Judy breathed silently. She couldn't wait to get out of this hospital and see Nick—

 _Wait a minute, where's Nick? Did Longhorn give him to the medical tent like I said_ _too?_ Darn herself for passing out. Nick could be severely injured—or dead, she wouldn't even know about it. The thought made Judy's heart pound faster than normal.

Ms. Shepard had just touched the silver door knob when Judy said, "oh, uh, Ms. Shepard, would it be fine for me to see my friend, Nick—he's the fox that rescued me from the fire."

The sheep turned. "Unfortunately, Ms. Hopps, I can't." Judy didn't need to have sensitive hearing to notice the shakiness of the sheep's voice.

Her heart ran a little faster, almost panicked. "What!" Judy wailed. The sheep flinched back, as if she knew she was doing something wrong. "But I was able to visit him before." She swore, if it was because he was a predator…

"He's a predator, that's why." It sounded forced, rushed, almost as if…

God help her if she could find a make-shift weapon anywhere. "You're still not answering my question," Judy growled, teeth clenched.

"A patient had went savage yesterday, so a new rules has been set, stating that prey patients nor doctors are allowed alone in a room with a predator." Judy could see Ms. Shepard's paws trembling, the clip-board shaking.

Judy clenched her fist, her knuckles as white as the blanket over them. "As an officer of the ZPD, I _demand_ that I see Nick." Her tone would probably make Chief Bogo tremble.

The sheep took another step back, as if she were actually staring into the eyes of a savage predator. You'd better be scared. The predator in the bunnies eyes roared with fury and wrath, promising a painful demise.

"M-Ms. Hopps, please," Ms. Shepard begged, her midnight blue eyes flooded with fear. "It's for everyones safety—your safety."

Judy snorted, and flopped back in her bed, arms crossed. "Fine—you win, _sheep_." She spat, her tone as poisonous as a viper's venom. She then glared at the nurse, a glare that wasn't quiet prey-like. "Now, _get out_." She demanded, waving her arm as if she were dismissing a servant.

"Y-yes, ma'am," The she stuttered. The perfect reaction Judy wanted from her. Ms. Shepard opened the door as fast as she could and slipped out. Even through the door, Judy could hear Ms. Shepard's wailing heart and her rushed foot steps as she speed walked down the hallway.

A wicked grin blossomed on her face, a feeling of triumph overcoming her, giving her joy like she hadn't had in so long. She loved seeing the fear written on Ms. Shepard's face and the malice voice that sprang through her lips—her lips. She had done that. She had made Ms. Shepard tremble in fear, obey her. And it felt good. Addictive. But she pushed that addictive feeling aside, the control, the power, the malice. If she got used to it, it would lead her down a painful path (like she hadn't been down one already). But… That addictive feeling… The control… She would only rely on it as a last resort.

Like a few moments ago, when she forced Ms. Shepard out of her room and leave her alone for a long time, because if she hadn't, she probably wouldn't have time to find a way to sneak into Nick's room—that's if she could find the room he was in. _I probably should've asked Ms. Shepard which floor Nick's room was in before I almost made her_ _pee herself_. She was doing it the old fashion way then: searching and guessing.

Her violet eyes scanned her room. _How am I going to get out here without getting_ _caught_. With her sensitive bunny ears, she could hear the manny footsteps of the doctors walking up and down the hallway. If she were to coming out through the door, one of them would surely wonder why a patient is out her room without permission. There has to be another way. She peered out the window. Maybe she could climb the building. _Are you being stupid, Judy, somebody_ _would definitely notice a bunny scaling up a building like a cockroach. And even if nobody saw you, you would have to look_ _through—I don't know—two hundred windows!_ She scolded herself. And she was right. Okay, another way. Her violet eyes traveled to the vent across from her—big enough for her to crawl through, and low enough for her to reach by jumping.

She didn't waste another second. She hop out of her bed, the white blanket danced in the air as she threw it off her torso. Judy locked the door Ms. Shepard had entered into her room through and covered the slim window with her mattress.

She raced over to the vent, gathering all the strength in her legs and jumped. She gripped the vent in her small paws. Planting her feet on the wall, she pulled the vent open. The lid came off easier than she expected, too easy. Her back slammed against hard, cold marble floor, and she gasped, the wind stolen from her lungs.

Grunting and shaking her head to clear her vision, she stood to her two feet and jumped again, grabbing the ledge and pulling herself up. She didn't look back at her empty room as she crawled through the vent. _I'm coming,_ _Nick_.

The vents were dusty, cold, and were smothered in pitch black darkness, but she pushed through it—for Nick, she pushed through it. Months of training at the academy made her silent as a ghost as she crawled through the vents, the metal slowly bruising her knees. She wished the doctors hadn't—well, done whatever they did to her police uniform, the hospital gown didn't provide much protection for her knees.

Her sensitive ears caught every voice that ran up and down the vents, each one with a different tone, voice, or subject. She listened for Nick's, concentrating. Nothing. Either Longhorn had tossed him to the ground the second she passed out or Ms. Shepard had not let her see Nick because he wasn't even in the hospital—and they refused to take him in. Didn't matter which, it made rage burn inside her heart.

She would find him, in the hospital or not. And if those wimpy doctors did refuse to take him in out of fear, she would nurse him back to health herself—however way.

Judy eventually crawled into two separate path, both leading in different direction. She used her hearing to help her make the right choice. The left path was almost completely silent. The right path was the opposite, the voices of numourous mammals filled her sensative ears. But there wasn't just voice coming from the right path… yelling and screaming, too…

Every hair on her body stood up, a shiver ran up her spine. She wished Nick were with her, so she could look into his emerald eyes and help her make the best decision. _I'm_ _coming_ , _Nick_. The thought made her stomach loosen a bit—a tiny bit, but it was worth it.

She crawled down the right vent system, filled with mammals screaming over God-knows-what. And yet some part of her… No… Something in her said the screaming involved predators. _What was the real reason Ms. Shepard didn't let you see Nick_ , a voice within her said, deep down in parts that she didn't even know about herself.

"I don't know." She answered softly. She stopped crawling to clutch her trembling paws. She was so scared… And angry. Angry at the doctors, the citizens, Zootopia. She hated them all.

 _Zootopia—where anyone can be anything._ She snorted, hating herself for being such a fool to believe that well-put-out lie. _You mean, Zootopia—the city_ _of hatred and_ _discrimination_. That sounded better, more fit. And yet… _keep moving, Judy. Find Nick._

She listened to that voice, and crawled.

Judy couldn't even see her own paws as she crawled through the ventilation system, she only had angry yelling and agonized screaming to depend on as a guide. She hissed when something sharp pricked her knee—she only hoped that something didn't have anything to with rust.

A far distance away, a dim light poured into the vent ground up. Judy's violet eyes lit up when she realized what it was: another vent, another room. Judy began to crawl faster, but suddenly slowed down into a stop when her sensitive ears something. Enraged yelling… And struggling.

She hesitated to move forward, peer into the vent. _Be strong, Judy_. _Fearless predator._ She told herself, and was enough to allow her to move forward.

She was inches from the vent when her paws began trembling again, the yelling louder and angrier. She took in a deep breath and looked. She gasped, her paws shot to her mouth. _Oh my…_

A Predator—a bear—lay on a hospital bed. White, leather straps were hooked to his arms and legs, and torso, imprisoning him on the bed. A muzzle tightly sealed to its mouth, muffling the curses and shouts of the bear. And his neck had a cast on. A broken neck. The bear's struggling would only make the injury worse… And worse. Tears ran down the bear's cheeks as its yelling slowly turned to whimpers.

Even with the muzzle on, Judy could still hear the bear whimper, "let me out; let me out; let me out, please. Please. Let me out, please. _Please_." The bear sobbed, still struggling, still injuring its neck further. Then—

 **"LET ME OUT!"**

The straps on the bear's torso flexed and groaned as it struggled, attacking the bed with its head—his head… His neck… It was already injured. He was going insane. No. He was insane. Judy clenched her eyes shut, her paws gripping her ears to block out the sound. Her sensitive hearing still caught bits and pieces of the bear's rant. Judy wanted to kick in the vent in. _Jump down there and help him,_ _unlatch the straps_. But… But… She couldn't.

No. She had to help the bear, she had to. Judy began slamming her tiny fist against the vent. She screamed out to the bear that everything was okay. Screamed with all her might, until she could be sworn her vocal cords had shredded.

But through its fear and panic, the bear didn't hear her.

Judy continued to bag on the vent, it didn't even come loose. _Your feet, Judy! Use_ _your feet!_ She did. She positioned her feet over the vent and—

A snap echoed through the vents; Through Judy's head; through her soul. The bear's neck… It had… he was dead. A predator was dead. Dead under a doctors care. Dead because he was a predator.

Judy fell flat on her back, tears running down her cheek. She couldn't summon the strength to move, speak, or even sob. She was numb, dead.

All this was her fault. If she just hadn't said that statement on the podium… At the ZPD, that bear would still be alive. He died because of her mistake.

This is your fault. Judy finally regained some feeling in her body, and she let out a sob—and many more came after. This is your fault. Those four words danced in her mind, a dance of agony and torture. _This is your fault—the bear's death, it's your fault._ _You_ _did this._

"I'm sorry." She said it to that bear, hoping he would somehow hear from the afterlife. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed again.

She wanted to curl up and cry into her knees like she had done before. But… Nick, he must be in the position as that bear—strapped up to a bed with a muzzle on his mouth. And beneath the debris of agony and sorrow, the fires of rage blazing burned through the many emotion within her. Rage that made her want to scream and punch the cold, metal walls of the ventilation system.

The next time she sees Ms. Shepard, perhaps she'd get a little _physical_ wHope talking to her.

She continued to crawl down the vent, wiping her tears away, and letting the fires of her rage burn within her violet eyes. _I'm coming for you, Nick_ , _and now matter how long it takes,_ _no matter how challenging this becomes, I will fix this—Zootopia._

She crawled and crawled, and she eventually ran into a vent that had two doctors having a personal conversation—a female big and a female bunny. There, she learned that predators with long snouts were being held on the tenth floor.

* * *

Good. He wasn't good. In fact, he felt as if he would go insane. The first time he'd woken up, with pain shooting through his upper back and the stinging of the bruises and cuts scattered around his body, he tried to sit up and take in his surroundings. He couldn't. He instantly found that his torso, arms, and legs were strapped to a bed, and even worse, a muzzle was placed painfully tight on his mouth. He'd fought against the straps and screamed for help, but his fighting resulted him in nothing.

When he'd finally calmed down, after he-didn't-know-how-long, Nick took a few minutes to scan his surroundings as best as he could—the muzzle blocked out most of his vision. Nothing—save for a night stand with gray tray set on it, and the bed he'd been strapped to. It took him at least an hour to realize he was in a hospital room, not a prison cell.

So he waited for the doctors, counting every minute that passed, hoping they would free him from these bonds. One-hundred and forty seven minutes later, and no one came. And it remained that way for many, many minutes until Nick stopped counting. He'd began fighting, again. His almost-crazy-screams bounced off the walls of his empty hospital room, and through all his fighting and screaming, Nick swore he could hear the screams of other predators through the vents.

Now, here he was, Nick Wilde, fighting against the white straps in vain, hoping to win his freedom again.

"Somebody help!" He shrieked, his throat raw from saying the same phrase over eighty times. "Get me out of here—let me out!" He could feel his sanity drifting away with each minute that passed. "Somebody!... Please… Help!" He couldn't stay like this any longer, unmoving, trapped. It was like being buried alive. Trapped. No escape. "Help!" He wondered if the doctors had forgot about him, if this was even a hospital.

 _This is a cell._ Some insane part of him said. _This is a cell and you'll never escape—you'll forever be strapped on this bed, lonely, afraid,_ _trapped, and hungry._

"Let me out." It was a whimper this time that escaped his teeth. Tears of craziness began to burn his eyes. "Let me out."

"Let me out." There was suddenly a slight pounding coming from the roof of his room—as if a creature were coming for him, to eat him alive. Not just the roof, but the vents. He was hallucinating. He had gone completely crazy and now he was hearing things.

He couldn't take this anymore. He couldn't take this; he couldn't—

" **LET ME OUT!"**

Being imprisoned on the bed for so many hours had caused him to go mad. He growled and barked like a dog, like a savage fox. Tears ran down his red cheeks as he struggled and struggled.

He fought against the bonds until he heard, "Nick." A female voice said softly, the tone smothered sympathy and self-loathing.

The madness that had leashed his mind slowly began to fade, the voice sounded too familiar. Judy. He couldn't bring himself to talk.

Nick tried his best to glance at the place where the voice came from—the vents (on the ceiling, three feet away from his bed). He then heard a soft sob slip through the metal bars of the vent, and he could've sworn he heard, "I deserve to die for what I put you through."

His heart split in two. He would've made a retort to what she whispered, but…

There was a loud BANG and the vent lid fell to the floor, rattling slightly. Judy came after, and despite the long drop, she landed on her feet with expert. Her violet eyes met his green. "Carrots," he breathed, relieved. Relieved that she was okay, and not injured from the fire. And at that moment, he forgot he was even strapped to a bed and muzzled.

Judy shot to his bed like a bullet, examining the straps. Nick only stared at her, not believe his eyes. _This has to be an hallucination._

The bunnies paws shook violently as she unstrapped him from the bed, legs first, arms second, and his torso last. Once she freed him from the final strap, he sat up. He raised his paw and ran it down Judy's soft, adorable cheek. She put his paws in her, clutching it as if he would disappear if she let go. _This is real._ Nick told himself, over and over again until the madness and rage completely vanished, carried away by the winds of hope. He almost let out a scream of happiness.

Her tiny paws released his, and she immediately went for the muzzle, undoing it and throwing it to the marble floor, scowling at it.

Judy threw her arms around his neck, Nick fell back on his bed, gaping slightly. Judy sobbed loudly into his toned neck, her warm tears staining his fur. Nick didn't care. He enveloped her in his arms, stroking her long, drooping ears.

Judy sobbed, "I'm sorry, Nick. I'm so sorry. I didn't want any of this to happen; I didn't—"

"Shhhh," Nick shushed. He slightly tightened his grip on her, a tear escaping his sea-green eyes. "It's okay; I'm okay. Everything going to be alright." A warm smile grew on his lips.

"I forgive you."

* * *

 **This chapter was hard to write, but I think it came out good. So, you guys tell me what you think of it—any problems that need to be fixed?**

 **See you you in the** **next chapter.**


	9. Together

_Savage attack after savage attack, and still, she couldn't find anything useful that would bring her closer to the mastermind of all this—that's if, there even was a mastermind._

 _"Come on, there has to be something," Judy whined to herself, playing through a video of_ _an_ _s_ avage _attack—five times she had watched the video, framing it and zooming in and out, but she had spotted nothing. Chief Bogo had assigned her with footage of the savage attack this workday, that had been taken by a traffic light camera a week back. The video consisted of a polar bear named Greg, casually walking through the street of Tundra Town. Where he planned to go, Judy couldn't care less, but the suitcase in his giant paws suggested that he worked in an office area of some sort. "I'm surprised," Judy had whispered to herself, her left paw buried in her cheek as she watched the video in boredom. Sadly, the percentage of predators without jobs had dropped to 1%—and, tragically, getting lower._

 _Greg continued to walk down the snow-coated-sidewalk, prey that walked toward him either turned other way or walked down an alley or walk across the street—as long as they weren't in the way of the polar bear. The polar bear's face remained neutral, almost as if prey weren't treating him like he was a dangerous criminal weren't there. Suddenly, Greg's white paw shot to his neck and he yelped. The next minute he was on all fours, growling and clawing at the icy ground. The savage Greg let out a terrifying roar, and a moose only five yards from him began running for his life. Greg went after the moose at the speed of a car, pouncing on it and clawing the mouses flesh with his razor-sharp claws. The moose screamed in agony, but Judy, still watching the video, didn't so much as flinch. She's seen too many attacks to react._

 _Luckily, an officer came racing into the scene—Officer Wolferd—and captured the savage polar bear in a net, stunning it. Then the video ended._

 _Judy sighed, sitting back in her obsidian spinning chair. Her violet eyes scanned her new office she had received after finding all fourteen of the missing predators—a carrot computer on her oak-wood desk; a coat hanger on the left corner of her office, a white jacket already hanging from one of the poles; a window behind her, stretching from one side of the room to the other, letting sunlight pour into her office, heating and illuminating the_ space; _a metal file cabinet holding personal information Chief Bogo only trusted her with. She didn't feel like she deserved this._

 _Over and over, day after day, she would tell herself to go see Nick, forgive him, but the the courage never came. And when she'd retired to her apartment after a long day of work and slept, that same nightmare would haunt her dreams—Nick killing himself, and her sobbing over his corpse. Over and over, she would wake up screaming, tears staining her cheeks. Day after day, over and over; it was driving her mad. Maybe when she did go mad, the courage when fill her heart and she would visit Nick at the hospital._

 _Judy shrugged off the thought and forced herself to focus on work._

 _She placed her paws on her temples, stroking them to relive some of the stress on her mind. If she didn't go mad from missing Nick, then the savage case would definitely do the trick. Nothing. A whole month of nothing. And yesterday she had to deal with another riot, and five predators had tried to kill her—only her in particular. She wondered why, but she didn't want to go to ZNN for the answers. And it turns out, predators have been threatening to burn down the ZPD if they didn't get there rights back. The Chief didn't take the threat lightly, he'd hunted down the predators who'd sent the threat via his email, and planted officer, security, and cameras on every corner of the ZPD—it was like being in the White House. ( **A.N—yeah, I don't know if there's even a Whitehouse or a Washington D.C. in the Zootopian universe or not, but just go with it.)**_

 _Would she ever get a break from all this… Bullshit! Angry and frustrated, Her paws flew from her temples and slammed on her desk, hard enough to make a glass vase vibrate. Her violet eyes shot wide open when she noticed her right paw didn't hit the oak-wood desk, but her computer mouse._

 _"God dammit!" She wailed, infuriated at herself. The video could've been deleted because that stupid act._

 _Her head shot to her computer-screen, hoping she hadn't accidentally deleted the savage video—Chief Bogo would definitely assign her parking duty for an entire month if she did. Shit._ Shit _. Mercifully, it was still there, but something interesting had come up. The video paused where Greg's paw shot to his neck, Judy saw something blue in the frame. She zoomed in on the video, her frustration and anger leaving her mind, replaced by curiosity. She then saw something that made her violet eyes widening: right underneath Greg's paw that shot to his neck, was a blue substance that looked to have exploded on his neck. A drug; chemical._

 _Judy clicked the rewind button on her computer and went back three frames. Her jaw dropped. It was blurry, barely visible, but Judy's violet eyes had spot it perfectly. Before Greg's paw had even shot to his neck, a blue dart had come racing towards his neck though the… A dart… A drug… And the only way the dart could be sent via air like that was through… A gun._

 _"That's it! That's what we've been missing all t_ his time!" _Every time a savage animal was captured—muzzled, stunned, or netted—the doctors wouldn't bother to check their bloodstream, or heart rate, or anything for that matter. They were too afraid to. If she could just convince the doctors to check one of the savage predators bloodstream…_

 _"One more answers has to be revealed, though," Judy told herself. She rewinded back a few frames, and her answer came clear—the dart had came from the roof of one the buildings. Whoever had shot the dart had to leave behind some evidence. I should call_ Chief Bogo first before I take any action _. She told herself._

 _Judy pushed herself back in the spinning chair, extending her arms to pick up her phone. But before she could even touch it, an object pricked her shoulder. She hissed, her violet eyes locked on to whatever had pierced her skin. Her eyes widened when she saw the object to be a dart with a red feather on the end. Someone had stunned her, someone wanted to kidnap her "No," she breathed as pulled out the dart from her shoulder with her two index fingers. She could practically feel the poison race through body. Ice ran up her veins_.

 _Judy's world fell into darkness before she could scream for help_.

* * *

"That's all I remember before I past out." Judy explained, sitting in a black chair set next to Nick, who lay in the hospital bed he'd been trapped in for countless hours. The fox would've sprang out of the bed, but the multiple bruises scattered around his body—which the doctors didn't bother to tend to—didn't allow him to do so.

Nick gave Judy a knowing look, dread written all over his face. His green eyes flicked down to her trembling paws. She was clenching them, trying to hide her fear—which she wasn't really good at, hiding her emotions.

Judy had sobbed into Nick's neck for an half hour before she finally ran out of tears to shed and air to gasp and sniff. And even then, she refused to unlatch herself from him for ten more minutes. Nick had never seen her so miserable in the short time he'd know her, and yet, he'd never seen look so relieved either.

The moment she'd said her shoulder had been pricked by a needle filled with some knock-out-serum, Nick needn't even strain his mind to guess who'd done it. Predators. They were desperate to kill her. With them having burned down the ZPD, they were speaking very, very loudly—roaring even. Predators wanted there rights back, and Judy Hopp's head impaled on a stake. It scared him so very deeply—deeper than anything had in his whole life. He wouldn't let them lay their paws on her—or their teeth, or claws. Claws? A little voice in him said, mockingly. I'm afraid, Nick, you've already done that part for them. An arrow of guilt and regret pierced his chest, the tears burning his eyes. He shrugged off all emotions.

He continued to watch the bunnies paws tremble and the tears of fear and frustration form in her beautiful violet eyes.

She said, "I don't know who in particular would want to kill me, but those three predators that attacked me…" She stopped mid-speech, her expression looking like she would vomit at any second. Nick couldn't blame her, she had killed one of those predators—a jaguar—by accident, but she acted as if she'd done it in cold blood—like she took pride in it. And then he wondered, how had Bellwether reacted to the news of Judy killing one of the three predators. Laughing, maybe, or smirking. Ice-cold anger froze his soul, his hatred growing. The bunny continued, "you don't think those predators had friends, do you? That want to kill me I mean."

Thinking, Nick stared blankly at his paws. His emerald eyes widened a bit when he noticed his paws had clenched the white hospital blanket, claws sinking deep into the fabric. He released his paws and claws from the blanket, saying, "perhaps, Carrots—he missed calling her by that nickname so much, he had to suppress a grin whenever he did—,but I think it wouldn't be _just_ friends of those three predators." He said, gazing into her violet eyes. Those eyes were so beautiful. It was tempting not to pin her to the ground and kiss her _entire_ body—every inch. _Calm down, Wilde, you're a_ _fox and she's a bunny._ _That's never going to be a thing_. Some illogical part _of_ him hated the thought. It was nearing winter, anyways. When foxes mating began. It had to his hormones, nothing else.

Judy gave Nick a perplexed look. "W-what do you mean by that, Nick?" More fear was blossoming within her small body, Nick needn't have mind powers to see that. He might as well spit out the truth, although, he thought she'd been knowing that predators were after her from the start. Since she was a cop anyway.

Nick suddenly saw this as the perfect opportunity to lighten up the mood a bit, so with his special—and original—trade-marks grin he knew Judy loved, he said, "you haven't been watching ZNN lately, have you, Carrots." Judy's looked at him, her violet eyes already giving the answer. "Wow—and here I thought Ms. Goody-two-shoes of the ZPD would be keeping up with world, huh"

Judy's lips pulled upward just a bit.

"So, I guess you were right about me back then, I could make good cop—maybe even better than you." Nick said, smirking.

Judy rolled her eyes. "Don't push your luck, you dumb fox. I never said you'd be a better cop than me. Besides, even if you did join the force, I'd always be the better cop—top of my class in the academy, _and_ the best detective on the force. Beat that, fox!" She said with her chin up, proud. She even went as far as to flick some imaginary dust off her shoulder as emphasis.

Nick raised a brow. "Is that a challenge, officer fluff? Because I could beat both your little accomplishments without even breaking a sweat. _And_ , to top it all off, I'd still be more sly you'll ever be."

Judy gave him a cunning smile. "Really, Nick. I hustled you twice during our "pretend investigation"."

Nick chuckled. "Oh, but you forget, you total fell for me and Finnic's trap with that jumbo pop."

Judy rolled her eyes again. "Nick, would just get to the point of what you were saying before," Judy complained, a grin still stuck on her lips.

"Oh, is someone being an sore loser?"

"Nick!"

"Okay okay, bossy bunny, here's my point. You know that speech you made at the ZPD a month back. Nick explained. The grin Judy had before vanished like a ghost in the wind. "Well, every predator in Zootopia—maybe the world—is out for your head because of it." Nick had lost his grin, too, replaced by a frown filled with fear.

Judy face became blue with terrifying realization. "Those three that attacked me… I thought it was just those three who tried to kill me. But every predator in Zootopia?"

"I'm afraid so, fluff." Nick answered, his face grim.

Judy's face went green, and she put a paw to her mouth. Nick heard her swallow something down her throat. He cringed in disgust.

After a few moments of silence, Judy said," then, what are we gonna do?" She asked, her paws began investigating to trembling once more. She clutched them.

Nick said, "I was thinking, Judy, that maybe you should move back to Bunny Borrow until everything's—"

Absolutely not, Nick!" Judy wailed, sitting up on the edge of the black chair. "This is my mistake. And I'm going to be the one to fix it, with or without your help. You'll have to kidnap me if you want being me to Bunny Borrow."

Nick clamped his muzzle shut. Judy returning to Bunny Borrow was exactly what he was going to suggest. _You're a damn fool for thinking_ _she'd do that, Nick_. He agreed with that little voice in his head. But still… He was scared. Those predators were becoming more aggressive with each passing second, minute, hour, and day. He wouldn't be surprised if this hospital fell to the ground because of a bomb the predators planted. The preds of Zootopia wanted her head, and he wanted to protect her. And what better way would there do that then send her back to Bunny Borrow. But now she's refusing.

 _So, what am I supposed_ _to do?_

 _Nick's_ original plan was to get Judy to safety through Bunny Borrow and then use the information he had on Bellwether to somehow put her behind bars. Or better yet, kill her—he hated the black hearted sheep anyways, a painful death would be a perfect punishment for that walking pork-chop. So now that everything had went to hell, what now? Do he tell her everything he knows about Bellwether, or does he try to figure out another way to protect her?

Nick sighed. Out of all honesty, he only had one option left.

"Then if moving back to Bunny Borrow isn't an option for you, Carrots, I guess we'll move onto plan B."

The fur above Judy's eyes arched. "And what is plan B?" She asked.

"I have to explain something to you, Carrots, before we start on plan B, oaky?"

Judy nodded.

Nick began, "the savage attacks, Jamal's death, the riots, me being beaten half to death and left under a bridge to die—Judy, I know who's causing all of this… I know who the real mastermind is."

Nick told her everything he knew. From Bellwether being the one behind the curtains to the Night howler serum causing the savage attacks. After hearing it all, Judy mouth had practically dropped to the floor. But when Nick had told Judy it had been Bellwether who had her two rhino's beat him until his fur was stained of his own blood… he'd never thought such anger could burn in Judy's eyes, especially with her innocent heart. And when it dawned upon Judy that Mayor Bellwether had used her like a puppet to gain more power, the sense of betrayal had branded her soul.

"I still can't believe that she's the one responsible for all of this. The savage attacks I mean. Mayor Bellwether acted so innocent and friendly that one would never suspect it." Judy said, now lying beside Nick in the hospital bed, tucked in the foxes arm. She'd moved from the black chair because she just wanted to. And when Nick had gave her a questionable look, she replied "I was growing a little cold." And that was that.

"Yeah, I was a little shocked myself when figured it out." Nick admitted, his emerald eyes burning with rage and shame. Rage for what Bellwether had did to him. Shame for letting himself be put in the hospital because of some sheep.

Judy lowered her head, hurt gleamed in her violet eyes. "She used me like a tool, like my only purpose in life was help her get to power." Judy's body tensed within Nick's arm.

"Carrots?" Nick spoke, worried. When Judy had took him to City Hall to ask Bellwether for help, the way they talked and treated each other was nice. They were friends, Nick had thought back then. Until now. The fact that Judy had worked so to get to where she was and then for Bellwether to manipulate her the way she did was unforgivable. Granted he had manipulated her before, but it was in the name of his business, it's what he did for a living. It was how he survived in the streets of Zootopia. He needed to manipulate her back then, Bellwether _wanted_ —wanted power. Someday, not today, but someday… He would make Bellwether answer to every crime she's committed. Nick glanced down at his paws, particularly at his claws, which were holding Judy's waist. He'd make sure to use these on Bellwether, too. A wicked smile blossomed on his lips.

"Carrots, it's not your fault that you didn't know. She's the criminal, not you, okay?" He said, slightly tightening his arm around her.

Nick waited for a reply, but Judy remained silent, her head still lowered. And her face tight with pain and anger.

A few moments later, Judy looked Nick in his green eyes.

"Nick," she said, her voice overflowing with determination, hate. And her face, Nick had never seen her look so fierce. Honestly, with that deadly expression she had on, Nick would've mistaken her for a predator. _She's changed_ , _hasn't she._ He'd known that the moment it had been announced that Judy had killed, he knew she changed—for the better or for the worse, he didn't know.

The Judy Hopps before was gullible, overly optimistic, and too innocent to be a cop. Now, after the heart wrenching trials she had to face and defeated, she was a new bunny. She was vicious, independent, a fighter—a survivor. She was a real cop. And a cop that a criminal would not want to come face-to-face with.

So when Judy said, "let's make that sheep pays for what she's done—to us… To this city." He didn't dare take one single word lightly. A predator. That was what she was. A dangerous predator. A terrifying monster in bunnies skin.

Nick held out his paw, ignoring the jolt of pain that came from the bruises. "Together." Nick said, sincerely.

Although his paws were twice her size, Judy put her paws on his. "Together—always."

They were going to make Bellwether suffer.

When it became 9:00pm, Judy had loosened the straps on Nick's bed to where he could slip his arms and leg out at will—the muzzle being the same, loose. Judy then greeted Nick goodbye with a kiss on the cheek—the farthest she'd go to express her love for him—and crawled through the vents back to her room, where she slept in pure tranquility.

* * *

 **Awesome—we've reached the second phase of my story. So, I wanted to do a little activity with you guys. I want you guys to rate this story from a scale of 1 to 5—optional obviously. If your wondering why, I just want to know how well I've done on my story.**

 **Also, thank you all so much for reading my story. It means a lot to me, you know.**

 **Thank you, and bye.**


	10. Riot

**Part 2: City of Hatred**

* * *

 _The news that Judy Hopps had been sent to the hospital had went viral around ZNN. All mammals across Zootopia—friend and foe, prey and predator—had seen the broadcast… And had taken note of it. The only question was… Which would make it to the bunny cop first?_

* * *

Judy, for the past couple of days, had used the ventilation system to secretly visit Nick—since prey were no longer allowed to be alone inside a room with a predator. The two had contemplated on their next course of action, which was putting Bellwether behind bars. Plan B, Nick had called it, was simple, yet seemed possibly dangerous and risky.

Judy had concluded that since she was to be released from the hospital in two days time, she would be the one, and only one, to visit Bogo at his apartment in downtown Zootopia and expose Bellwether's evil actions to the Chief.

Nick had his doubts about the bunnies plan, knowing that the many predators roaming the streets would be more than happy to kidnap and kill her in the most brutally way possible. It had taken Judy a lot of convincing before Nick finally agreed to go along with her plan, although hesitant.

"Your plan is too simple, Carrots." Nick had said, with Judy, once again, laying the bed with him tucked in his arm. But this time, to Judy's relief, he hadn't questioned why she wanted to get so intimate with him. He must've enjoyed her being that close, then, she guessed. "If you ask me, I don't thinks fates going to let you simply stroll out of the hospital and then visit Bogo. You need something or someone to lean on in case the situation goes haywire."

At Nick's statement, Judy had immediately suggested her home town: Bunny Borrow.

"If anything goes wrong, Nick, I can simply retreat to my parents house. They'll provide me with plenty of protection." When Nick gave her a look full of worry, she added, "I promise."

After two days of talking and arguing, they both finally settled on their course of action.

There plan was finished—simple, a few flaws, but finished.

* * *

 _Two days later. 1:02 pm_.

* * *

Today was the day Judy was too be released from the hospital, but Chief Bogo had demanded that she be questioned about her experience in the fire before she left. So, Mchorn came by around 1:00 pm—the original time she was too be released from the hospital—and questioned her on how she escaped the burning ZPD. Judy didn't blame the Chief for giving out the particular order. The ZPD was nothing but a pile of cinder and ash since it was burned down, therefore, leaving the police force without an interrogation room to question the bunny in. But still… The Chief's order did slow down her and Nick's plan.

There weren't many questions for the officer to ask, to Judy's relief. Mchorn had said all the questions with a apathetic tone, making the situation more boring than it already was.

But when Mchorn reached the last question, his tone had taken a dramatic shift. Judy had a hint as to why.

The rhino had asked her every question she could think of, all except for one: who had set the ZPD ablaze and had attempted to assassinate her?

There was no need for that question—not anymore, Mchorn had informed her.

The ZPD had already caught the bastard who'd done it.

To Judy's horror, she had learned that Officer Wolfard was mammal responsible for the crimes. The news had made Judy nearly emptied her stomach on the hospital bed. She'd asked "are you sure he wasn't framed", but all the evidence had led to him—and only him.

The thought that Wolfard had hated her so deeply that he would go as far to burn down the whole police station _just_ to kill her frightened her—and broke her soul.

Judy had also learned that Wolfard was to be sentenced to death, tomorrow, by gunfire— _gunfire_. _If Wolfard were prey, would he be sentenced to gunfire, then?_ The question had came faster than she could stop it.

No matter how hard she tried, Judy couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her cheek. Another predator gone, because he had hated her to such an unbelievable extent.

Moments later, Judy broke down, crying into her furry paws. She didn't dare glanced at Mchorn. The rhino, as far as she knew, was probably rolling his eyes as she cried, wondering why the Chief would ever assignment him to such a soft-hearted, naïve bunny like herself.

But, surprisingly, the opposite had happened. The rhino gingerly placed a giant paw on her back, giving her a sympathetic gaze. He said a few comforting words, smiling warmly at her. Then, a few minutes later, he the left bunnies room in silence.

Judy continued to sob over Wolfard's demise.

* * *

Since the moment Mchorn had left the room… No, since the moment she'd heard of Wolfard's crime, had a she desperate urge to talk to Nick. She needed to spill all her doubts—all her fears—to him, and it pleased and saddened her to think that he was the only person in this city that she could trust… Love… Without having a second thoughts.

Judy searched her memories of every mammal she'd come to know in Zootopia, but none could make her feel safe like Nick did—not even her parents. Even Bogo… She couldn't fully trust him, but she had to, if she wanted to stop Bellwether, that is.

 _You can trust him, Judy! Stop being so paranoid! Didn't you see his reaction when he heard that Jamal had been killed?_ It was true. When the Chief received the horrible news that Jamal had been shot to death, a shadow of sorrow had covered the buffalos expression, nearly to. Chief Bogo cared for every officer on the force. There was no way he could be working with Bellwether… _Right?_

Three minutes passed, and not a single nurse had gotten anywhere near the bunnies room. She was safe to leave. Excited, Judy threw the white blankets off her torso and leaped from the bed, landing on her feet with feline ease. Just when Judy was about to hop to the vent, a nurse—a female bunny with fluffy white fur—entered the room, a smile stretching across her fluffy face.

Judy froze in her tracks. _Damn it_ , she cursed inwardly.

The nurse gave a surprised look at seeing Judy out of her bed. "Oh, Ms. Hopps, am I disturbing you?" She asked innocently, the dazzling sun pouring in through Judy's window gleamed in the bunnies grey eyes.

Judy swallowed her wailing frustration. "No, no, you're fine." She lied. "I was just… Doing some quick exercises. Muttering curses under her breath, she climbed back onto her bed, covering her torso with the white blanket once again. She refused to talk to one of the nurses without having the white-rose blanket concealing her almost-transparent-hospital gown. Even if the doctors constantly assured her that the gown would protect her privacy, she was sure that if the sun were to illuminate the too-thin-gown her bare fur would be exposed to every eye that focused on her—perhaps that what the doctors wanted. Especially the males. Perverts.

The nurse let out a little laugh. "A little exercise to stay in shape, eh? Certainly sounds like something you would do—being the number one cop in the ZPD and savior of the city."

The compliment tore through her like a viper's venom—because she knew, deep down, that she was anything but a hero. _I destroyed this city._ The thought caused her eyes to burn slightly.

Judy forced a chuckle through the wall of self-accusation and anger that imprisoned her heart—or what was left of it, anyway. "Oh, I'm flattered, ma'am." Judy smiled. "Thank you." Judy was surprised to find that, despite the self-accusation chewing at her soul for being the cause of so many deaths, her tone was nothing but tranquility, as sweet as honey—non of her anguish in sight. Hiding her emotions. _Nick must be rubbing off on me._ A fragment of a smile possessed her features.

"No need to thank me, Ms. Hopps." The nurse said with a slight chuckle. "Anyway, I wanted to inform you that particular mammal is her to see you."

Judy raised a brow. "Really? Who?"

The nurse's smile brightened. "Someone very important, lucky you."

Now Judy was really curious.

"Your visitor will be here shortly." The bunny confirmed, exiting the room. The sound of the shutting door echoed through Judy's room.

"Someone very important?" Judy asked out loud, staring into blank space. Perhaps her parents, they were really important to her. Judy froze. _Oh no… My parents!_ Her Mom and Dad, being the carying, overprotective parents they were, they would kill her with the many questions they had. _No, scratch that._ With her having almost been killed more than three times, she wouldn't be surprised if her Dad dragged her back to Bunny Borrows by her ears.

 _This is bad—really, really bad._

Judy prayed that the visitor happen to be someone other than her parents. She would rather face the wrath of the many hate-driven predators than try to convince her parents to why she should stay in Zootopia.

Judy's ears perked up when the door squeaked opened. Judy suddenly found herself regretting that she'd ever made her prayer to begin with... Because her request had been received.

Mayor Dawn Bellwether, maker of the nigh howler serum, causer of predator discrination, and the individual responsible for Nick's lethal injuries, stalked into Judy's room, her smile too innocent to match the black heart hidden beneath wool and flesh. The sunlight pouring in through the window to the left of Judy's bed gleamed off the sheep's dark blue skirt and jacket, making fragments of the ocean blue skirt dance on the white wall—the outfit was beautiful, but the tyrant wearing was most ugliest of creations. A hulking male rhino trailed behind Bellwether, his black clothes and oversized biceps gave a pretty clear warning to stay a healthy distance away.

But despite Judy's shock from Dawn's unexpected visit—a visit that made rage simmer through her veins—the bunny couldn't stop her gaze from lingering on the rhino he took his place in the far corner of the room, guarding the Mayor. A body guard. Nick had said that it had been two rhino's who had nearly beaten him to death—luckily, he somehow had survived (Judy was just glad Bellwether hadn't killed Nick like she did Jamal then).

 _Could that body guard be one of the two sadistic rhino's who came after Nick?_

Judy pushed away the thought. She had more important matter to think about, very, very important.

The mammal responsible for the deaths and misery and sorrow of the many, many predators in Zootopia now stood by her bedside, smiling innociently with malice dancing behind her stone, grey eyes. Judy only thought was, _why are you here,_ _Bellwether_.

 _Obviously, it must be something important if you're going to waste your precious time to visit a low life like me._

When Nick had told her it was Bellwether who had caused the savage attacks, it wasn't hard to believe. Being sent to a hospital twice, witnessing Jamal's death, having three predators attacking her all at once with the result of her killing one of them—through out her tails of agony, fear, and anger, not once… Not one time did Bellwether ever bother to make contact with her and comforted her. This sheep… This demon, after using her like a puppet, had thrown her to the wolves and let her fend for herself. Bellwether was a trader, non-trustworthy. In fact. She was worse than a fox, or even a savage predator. She was worse than both.

She was a monster.

Focusing on the reality of her situation, Judy forced a smile a on her lips, and said, "Mayor Bellwether… I didn't expect to see you here?" It was true. Judy took two seconds to look Bellwether up and down, searching for any concealed weapon or fire arms. She too two more to search the rhino. Same result, no weapons. Her curiosity heightened. _Why is the Mayor here?_

"I'm sorry for surprising you, Judy." Bellwether said, her hoofs fiddling with the folds of her dress. "But I've been so worried about you for the past months, that I couldn't resist not seeing you another day." Her eyes brightened a bit, but the dark malice still lingered behind them. "Despite that, it's nice to see you again, Judy."

Judy had to bite her tongue to keep from blurting out the hateful words that wailed in her skull. "You too, ma'am." She smiled, her eyes flicking to the white blanket, making sure it concealed her clenched fist underneath.

Judy glanced at the rhino standing at the corner of the room, his face blank. A stone's face. She wanted a sign, one sign that this rhino had been the one to send Nick—… Her Nick—to the hospital, bloody, broken, and covered in mud. One sign, and she would hunt the bastards to the ends of the earth to make him pay for what he'd done.

Suddenly, Mayor Bellwether suddenly reached under Judy's blanket and place her hoof on the bunnies clenched fist. Judy immediately relaxed her fist, but they trembled ever so slightly anyway—it was the only way Judy could release her rage little by little. "Hey, Judy… I've kept an eye on the ZNN lately, and…"Bellwether paused, her eyes going glossy. _Fake tears_. It made Judy sick to her core. "And I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I couldn't imagine the pain you must be going through right now, and the fact that you're smiling right now…" Another pause. The Mayor glanced down where she rested her hoof on Judy's. She made eye on contact with the bunny again. "You're a really amazing person."

It took every ounce of her self-control not to rip her paw away from Bellwether's. The fact that this demon was worshipping her after she'd used her like a puppet—it made Judy want to retch.

Despite her growing rage, Judy said, "oh, well, thank you, ma'am." Bellwether was right about one thing: she was surprised that she could still smile, still laugh. That conversation she had with Nick, a few weeks back, she wouldn't be able to smile or laugh. In fact, she probably would've snapped at him for having sympathy, trying to cheer her up with his intentional jokes.

Judy continued to praise Bellwether, hesitantly though, "And you don't have to say sorry for what you did," Judy, hesitantly, assured, "I completely understand your situation: you have an overwhelming responsible—especially with all the wild savage attacks putting this city into a state of fear and panic—and the citizens are looking up to you as their hero; they have expectations that you will restore this city to how it was then. You worrying about me isn't going to bring you or the citizens any closer to our goal: love and peace… A diversity of goodwill." Every word from her speech had felt like lava scorching her tongue. It was painful, lying, but it was necessary for her act.

Hiding her true emotions. _Oh, Nick would be so proud of me right now!_ She almost giggled, imagining Nick's having his smug grin he watched her tricking Bellwether without any flaws.

"Oh, Judy, you have such a kind and compassionate heart." Bellwether beamed.

 _And you have a heart with elements from the underworld_ , Judy thought.

"You're are most certainly right. Thank so much for understanding." The sheep said, finally removing her hoof from Judy's paw and letting fall to her side. "You're a true hero."

Judy smiled, and nodded. "You're welcome, ma'am. It's always a pleasure to—"

"You also have," Bellwether cut in, her voice quiet death, "very talented acting skills."

At that very second, as if a dam containing a whole river had been broken, malice flooded Bellwether's gray eyes, turning them into something that wasn't prey-like, nor predator-like. More like monster-like…

Judy stared at Bellwether in a state of shock, wondering how the sheep could've seen through her act like a windowpane. But the answer came to her just as quickly as she was stunned; the mammal who had shot and killed Jamal, likely a ruthless mercenary hired by Bellwether, must've been an assassin… And a spy. Which meant… Which meant Bellwether had spies. Shit. _Shit_.

Nick, Judy realized, was right, her plan was too simple. For all she knew, a spy could've ease-dropped every detail of her and Nick's plan—and informing Bellwether.

Judy's face suddenly paled.

If Bellwether did get every detail of their plan from one of her cronies, she could have Chief Bogo assassinated just because of the ranking he held in the city—because of the significance he held in their plan. _Everything could go to hell_. _I have to get to Nick_ — _fast_. She needed to get away from Bellwether and the rhino—that's if this sadistic sheep didn't kill her first.

A chilling spider crawled down Judy's spine.

Though she had stood face-to-face with Death more than once, the thought of Bellwether trying to kill her made her heart race. But she didn't let the fear dance in her violet eyes.

"How did you know?" Judy asked a question she already knew the answer too, but still… She wanted to confirm it.

Bellwether smiled sweetly. "I think you know the answer to that—with you being the ZPD's best detectives and all."

Judy scowled, her knuckles clutching the soft silk of the white blanket—if she had claws, they would be digging into the flesh of her palm.

"I did it for you, you know? "Bellwether said. "Having that fox beaten half to death, I did that for you." The sheep's sadistic grin vanished like a ghost in the wind, replaced by a stern, honest expression. She wasn't lying.

So this demon did consider her as a friend… Once. _Shame_.

In truth, Judy was slightly astounded by Bellwether's confession, but the nagging feeling of betrayal added gas to her already blazing flames. "What you did to Nick was cruel and unnecessary, you sick _bitch_!" She wailed, her nostrils flaring.

The rhino in the corner of the room let out a smirk loud enough to be noticed.

Judy's violet eyes snapped to the beastly rhino, her sharp glare lacking anything but rage and hatred. If this rhino was the one who'd brutally assaulted Nick, he was very, dangerously close to proving it. She needed one sign.

"It was completely necessary!" Bellwether roared. "After how badly he injured you, you expect me to sit back and let that fox go unpunished. No. I gave that canine what he deserved. And you know, back then, you would've agreed wholly with my actions."

As much as it digested her to admit it, Bellwether was right. It was only natural that Nick would pay the consequences for his actions, eventually. Once, she had wanted him to suffer after what he did to her; once, she would've praised Bellwether for what she did to Nick. But not anymore.

For that reason, Judy's voice was calm when she said, "if you wanted him to be punished so badly, you could've at least had him arrested, not beaten half to death!" She exclaimed, her tone shifting.

Bellwether's stern face broke like a glass vase impacting stone. She chuckled, her ugly, uneven teeth flashing. "Oh, look at you, enforcing the law like the good cop you are. And yet, _you_ are the one who caused the riots, deaths, and discrimination that infest this city like a virus. _You_ were the one who mortally wounded three predators—killing one." Bellwether's words were like a dagger to her stomach, each one hurting more than the last. It felt as if all her past mistakes would reach out for her heart and crush it and stab it until there was nothing left.

And the tears burned her eyes, threatening to pour down her cheeks.

She reached her paw out to the far side of the bed, expecting to feel Nick's soft, smooth fur envelope her in his warmth and love, only, there was nothing but empty air. She almost cried out his name, wanting him, needing him. In the darkness of her heart, he was the only light she had that could guide her to the peace and harmony she longed for.

Bellwether creeped closer to Judy, the sheep's lips neared the bunnies sensitive ears. And she whispered, "and don't forget, Judy, that you were the one who deleted the footage of your fox friend—how should I say this—nearly gutting you."

Judy's eyes widened, jolting back from the mayor as if she'd been burned. Her mouth gaping, nose twitching. "H-how did you—"

Bellwether cut her off. "Trust me, _bunny_ ," Bellwether breathed, bringing her lips closer to Judy's ears despite the bunny backing away before.

The way Bellwether addressed her— _bunny_ —sent cold, bloody claws down her spine, slicing the bone in two with a crack. Judy let off a hard shiver, ears twitching. Bellwether continued anyway. "I know way more than you think, and because of you—because of your little speech that you so stupidly blurted out to the public—I have full control of this city now. I could turn every single citizen against you with one simple lie. What would you do then, my puppet?"

 _Puppet?_ Of course, Judy thought. She was nothing but a mere puppet while solving the Emit Otterton case. A stupid, naïve puppet that was the cause of so many—too many—deaths and tragedies. The thought put her soul in a choke-hold, strangling out whatever emotions she had left. Leaving only depression for her to grasp onto.

Her heart was racing, her nose twitching, and her paws shook violently. _Nick, please_. She called inwardly.

 _Please, somebody help._ Bellwether… Why was she so scared of her? She was Judy Hopps, brave, loyal, and compassionate. But Bellwether managed to drain that loyalty and bravery. What had happened to the joy she felt while talking to Nick, what had happened to the confidence she'd felt when she'd heard Nick forgive her. It had all been torn away from her very being.

True terror danced in Judy's violet eyes as she gaped at Bellwether, trembling at sadistic aura that radiated from the sheep. Never before in her life had she felt so aghast. Nick. She wanted him, she needed him. She was horrified. And she didn't want to die. Judy glanced at the mayor's waist, searching for any concealed weapon—a knife, a gun. She didn't want to die. _Help. Somebody._

She had to get away from her, this sheep, this demon. Before she swallowed her whole with her malice words.

She had to—

Suddenly, Judy's fist smashed into Bellwether's cheek.

The sheep cried out in pain, staggering back, and landed flat on her ass. Judy's eyes were wide as coasters as she watched Bellwether nurse her cheek with her hoof, whimpering in agony.

Judy forced a scowl, a mask to hide her shock of her sudden action. Punching Bellwether, strangely, brought a sense of nostalgia to her mind. The memory of kicking Gideon Grey when he had scared her branded her mind. It had been fear that made her take such violent actions, the fear had triggered something ancient and cruel deep within her—long lost, savage instincts. And that same instinct had been triggered when those three predators had attacked her; the result had been gruesome, with two of them missing a finger, one having his genitals ruptured, and one dead. It had all been because of those ancient instincts running through her veins—her species veins. But every time those survival instincts snap on, she felt different—wild. Like she didn't care who got her as long as she survived—a savage.

The thought both scared and puzzled her.

Now, Bellwether had triggered those wild instincts, and she payed the price for it. Judy's scowl darkened, making her seem. And Bellwether gazed at her. Her gaze wasn't gleaming with fear or hate, or even shock, it was just a… Gaze.

Suddenly, a colossus paw ringed Judy's slender neck and chest, pinning her against the cold, white wall with strength that made it groan and vibrate.

Her vision a blur, Judy sank her dull claws as deep as she could into her attackers paw, attempting to free herself. But her efforts were in vain. The skin of her attacker was too dry and thick for her blunt claws to pierce.

Slowly but surely, her vision cleared, and she wasn't surprised when she found herself staring straight into the green eyes of Bellwether's body guard. She clenched her jaw, kicking the rhino's wrist with every once of her strength she had. The rhino actually hissed in pain, slamming Judy against the wall with a sickening _thud_. His giant paw was enough to crush her lungs and neck, making her situation worse.

Judy moaned in agony, her vision spinning. She recovered quicker than before, clutching the rhino's giant paw. "Let… Me... G-go." She choked, her crushed lungs screaming for air, her eyes clamped shut.

The rhino tightened his grip. Judy gasped, trying to pry the colossus paws away from her neck and torso. "Shut your mouth, _bitch_." The rhino growled. "Or I'll give you a beaten far more brutal than I did your fox friend."

Wrath tore through her veins hearing that last statement. Her violet eyes snapped to the rhino's yellow, glaring daggers, her vision swimming from the lack of oxygen and her crushed lungs. He was the one… he was one who'd hurt Nick, tortured him with a smile on his face. This rhino who now pinned her body against the wall… She was going to torture him back, no matter how many obstacles stood in her way.

Hate-driven, Judy slammed her foot into the rhino's wrist, each hit more violent than the last. She wasn't trying to free herself anymore. Strangely, that was the last subject on her mind. No. She wanted to give this rhino pain, make him regret for what she did to Nick. And at the moment, breaking this bastard's wrist seemed appropriate. So Judy kicked the bodyguard's wrist, over and over and over again. And she refused to stop until she heard the rhino's wrist break in two.

At Judy's last kick, there was a _crack_ , and the rhino out roared out in anger and agony. He snagged the bunnies left leg with bone-crushing strength. Judy could see the pain glimmering in his green eyes, and she smiled sweetly at him, satisfaction dancing behind her violet orbs. Yet she was surprised he still had her pinned against the wall, though his grip had loosened enough for her to breath slightly.

Pain gleamed in the rhino's eyes when he said, "let's see how resistant you are after I snap your leg in two." The grin he gave was utterly unholy.

Judy's face paled beneath her grey fur. She squirmed in the rhino's grasp, flexing and twisting her left leg. She needed her legs, she needed them.

The rhino smirked at the bunny desperately fighting against his powerful grasp. His grin widening, he then tightened his grip and—

"Stand down, Hendricks!" Bellwether ordered, pointing her hoof to the ground as emphasis.

The rhino's green eyes fell on the mayor, giving her a questionable gaze. But Bellwether replied with a stern glare, her slender arms crossed. " _Now_." She added, her tone dark and cruel.

Hendricks snorted, rolling his eyes. He then lifted the bunny from the wall, all the while Judy glared daggers at him. The rhino grinned wickedly at Judy's fierce gaze, and body-slammed her into her bed with his dry, rock-hard paw.

The second Judy was bashed into the hospital bed by the wicked beast, she arched her back, gasping for breath and retching loudly from the rhino's violent assault, her violet eyes stared blankly up at the tiled roof, black spots dancing in her vision.

" _Hendricks_!" Bellwether wailed, taking a step forward, as if she would kill her body guard If he attempted to disobey her again. "Are you trying to divulge me by killing her? Now, do as I say and stand down!" Never once in her life had Judy thought Bellwether's voice could sound so… Intimidating… Terrifying, actually.

"My apologies, madam." The rhino said in an almost mocking tone. "I'll be sure to keep my anger in check the next time." Sarcasm, Judy identified. Hendricks's tone, mask by sincerity, was nothing short of sarcasm—an unsaid threat to Judy.

If Bellwether noticed Hendricks's fake sincerity she didn't bother to let it show. Only a stern glare remained on her muzzle as she watched the body guard retreat back to the far corner of the room, his paws crossing in front of him and his face a blank stone once again.

Judy felt a chilling spider crawl down her spine when Bellwether's heavy gaze retuned to her.

Judy coughed, her eyes bloodshot from nearly being strangled to death. Her ribs groaned in agony with every movement she made in her torso, her throat raw, but, thankfully, the pain was only temporary. An hour or two later, it should diminish to mere nagging.

Ignoring the immense pain that shot through her ribs like a bullet, Judy straightened her back, chin up.

"Oh," Bellwether's brows rose. "You're a tough one, Judy—I'll give you that. You look as if my body guard had never laid a paw on you to begin with. Most bunnies I know would be withering in pain after the short, little beating you took." She was toying with her, mocking her.

Judy clenched her jaw so hard it hurt. Her voice was hoarse when she said, "why are you here, _Bellwether_." It wasn't a question. And was the first time she'd addressed the sheep by just her name.

The mayor gave her a smile that would make a tyrant tremble in fear. "You want the reason to why I'm here, huh? Well, the reasoning is simple." She said, her tone a knife slicing through the little confidence Judy had.

Bellwether stalked toward Judy's bed, her left hoof concealed in the pocket of her ocean blue jacket.

Judy's pupils shrank to grans of sand when the sheep slipped a knife from her coat pocket and, with feline ease, pressed the blade to the her bruised throat. Judy lay still, not daring to make a move that would result in her death. "My reasoning is very, _very_ simple, bunny." She growled, pushing the blade deeper into Judy's neck. A teardrop of blood slid down Judy's neck. She winced.

"I know you and your little fox friend have been meeting in secret since you arrived to the hospital, creating a grand plan to somehow defeat me, stop _my_ grand plans." She chuckled to herself, and the rhino in the far corner joined her. Her grin then vanished like a ghost in the wind, replaced by a dangerous scowl. "Well, let me tell you something right now: you step out of line, you give me one other reason then the one I have now to murder you, and I swear on my parent's grave, I will kill you and your friend—tortured, very, very slowly."

"And don't worry—no one will know what happened to either of you; there won't even be a trace of evidence for the ZPD to follow. Because I'll be sure to have you and your friend cut down into little, tiny pieces thrown out to the wilderness. And I bet the crows would be more than happy to feed on your remains."

Judy's paws were trembling at this point, her heart racing, and her nose twitching constantly. She truly wondered if this sheep had been spawned from the devil himself—she was so sadistic, insane almost.

Bellwether pulled the knife away from Judy's neck, but not before letting it graze her windpipe, reminding the bunny of the consequences set for her if she ever disobeyed. A master punishing her dog.

Bellwether tucked the knife back into her coat pocket, back away from the bunny. Judy jolted upright in her bed, exhaling out air she hadn't realized she was holding. She clutched her throat, stroking the top-deep-cut in her throat.

Her violet eyes flicked to Bellwether. "You're a sick monster." Judy growled, her teeth—stained with blood from being smashed into the wall and her bed—clenched to form a scowl.

Bellwether expression was serious when she said, "to only those who try to prevent the next stage of evolution I have planned for this world."

Judy raised a brow. _Next stage of evolution?_

The ground beneath the three mammals suddenly shook violently, an explosion sounded in the distance.

Bellwether almost fell flat on her ass, stumbling. But Hendricks's behind her in a second, helping regained her stature.

"What the hell was that?" Bellwether inquired, a hint of fear in her tone.

Judy violet eyes shot to the window of her room; her pupils shrank when she spotted a cloud of black smoke rising from base of the hospital. _What was that—a bomb?_

Screams of fear and agony came next, echoing through the hallways and Judy's room.

A sudden explosion, a cloud of smoke, screaming. The pieces of the puzzle were slammed together, realization clicking. Ice ran up her veins and froze her blood. "They know where I am—they've found me." Judy breathed, her words barely a sound.

Bellwether's grey eyes darted to Judy, who stared blankly at her paws. "What did you say?" She demanded, dread slowly creeping up her spine.

Judy turned to the sheep, her eyes widened in horror. "It's the—

"Mayor Bellwether!" A second rhino shouted, bursting through the door with a winded expression.

All three mammals gazes snapped to the panic-stricken rhino.

At the sight of the rhino, Judy vision became clouded with blood-red rage… Because the colossus mammals standing before her, at the door, was also responsible for Nick's injuries. Judy stared at the rhino's face, memorizing ever feature of it, and branded it into her memory.. Now that she had a mental image of both rhino's.

But the fires of Judy's rage were put out by what the rhino said next.

"It's the predators!" He gasped, his breathe ragged. Judy's heart wailed at her rib-cage.

 _No. In a hospital…_

"They're rioting… They're starting a **carnage** —killing every prey they come across! Ma'am, we have to get you out of here before they—"

The sound of a gunshot sliced through Judy's eardrums. Blood exploded from the rhino's head as he fell to the ground with a hulking thump. His ghostly eyes locked on Bellwether, as if he were still telling the sheep to run from the after life.

At the corner of Judy's vision, she saw Bellwether cringe.

Then, many, many gunshots came after, along with terrified screaming of the prey nurses, doctors, and patients running down the hallway.

Judy eyes were wide with terror as she saw prey running frantically down the hall, screaming, some sobbing as they ran, crying out for help. Rose-red liquid stained the white marble floors as a mob of raging predator mowed down prey with their assault rifles, yelling and cursing as they did. It was the grace of God that non of the predators stop at the wide open door of Judy's room.

The ground shook as the rhino raced over to Bellwether, scooping the sheep in his arms with one swift movement before running toward the wide open door. The rhino kicked the dead corpse whom was his partner out of the way, blood smearing across the white floor.

Bellwether glanced back at Judy, a sweet smile on her muzzle. _Good luck_ , her expression seemed to say.

Pushing away the fear and shock that locked her muscles in place, Judy jolted from the bed, throwing the white blanket off her torso.

She raced for door, taking larger steps than usual to close the distance between her and door, and then she jumped with all the power in her legs.

Hendricks glanced back at the flying bunny and smirked, before slamming the door shut with a bang.

"No." Judy yelled still in mid-flight. She shifted herself in mid-air, and slammed her feet into the door, hoping to kick it open. But the solid materials it was made of held strong.

She landed on her feet, immediately attacking the silver door-knob, twisting and rattling it with her little paws, but her attempts were futile.

"Shit," Judy shouted in frustration, slamming her fist into door. Funny, she thought. Nick had reacted the same way when debris had blocked are only chance of escaping the fire.

She turned in the direction of the vent, sighing. The ventilation system was her only chance of escape, but doing that was risky. If the mob of predators had set the hospital ablaze like they did the ZPD, the thick, toxic smoke of the fire could shroud the vents, and she could suffocate while crawling through the vents. The possibility of her dying were high, but… She had to get to Nick and see if he was okay. .

She would have to take the risk.

* * *

 **This chapter was incredibly hard to write. I'm just glad I got this posted.**

 **About the story, the rising action starts here. Trust me, things may become a bit, bloody, perhaps. Escpcailly having to do with the predators.**


	11. Hospital Escape

**Hey, guys. Man, this chapter was a pain in my rear, no joke. Anyway, enjoy chapter 11!**

* * *

Violet eyes flicked to the deceased rhino sprawled out on the marble floor, the bullet hole. Blood poured from the circle-shaped wound, a small puddle of scarlet liquid growing beneath his head.

Judy Hopps cringed at the bloody sight, her stomach churning.

This rhino's death… Bellwether was the only mammal to blame for it. She had caused fear, and hatred that spread in Zootopia like a wildfire. That bitch had assassinated Jamal, a kind, young wolf who hadn't done anything to deserve his tragic fate.

Judy frowned. The Jaguar she had killed… It wasn't her fault, but the demons, Bellwether's. Every death was the sheep's doing, a part of her sadistic plan—whatever that was.

Judy clenched her fist, her dull, gray claws biting into her palm. _I'll make sure you answer to every sin you committed—no, Nick and I will. We'll crush your hopes and dreams…. That's a promise._ A promise it was.

Judy felt the confidence that Bellwether had torn to shreds, now slowly piecing itself together. She had Nick again, and their scared friendship was slowly, but surely, healing. That was all she needed.

Judy turned her back to the lifeless rhino, and focused on her task at paw: get Nick and run. She gazed at the vent-lid on the wall. She didn't smell any smoke radiating from it, thank God, but still... the ominous sensation lingered in her mind.

She gave one last glance at the bloody mess behind her, then ran for the vent-lid, her hospital gown dancing behind her on a phantom wind.

If she wanted to escape this riot, she would have to work fast—very, very fast.

She gazed at the vent-lid that was high up on the ceiling, her palms lay flat on the hard cold surface of the wall. She bent her knees and tensed her calves, her cotton tail twitching. With one powerful hop, she jumped three feet in the air.

She grasped the thin, vertical bars of the vent-lid, hanging from them. She pulled on it, eyes clenched and muscles tense, her feet flat on the lid. The screws holding the vent-lid in place groaned, slowly giving away to the force of the bunny pulling. She pulled harder, and the thin, vertical metals bars sank into fingers, almost touching the bone beneath her fur and flesh.

With one final tug, the vent-lid came loose from the wall, flying off its hitches. Judy flew with the vent, but landed on her feet. She'd made sure she wouldn't humiliate herself by landing flat on her ass like the first few times she had opened the vent-lid.

Suddenly, the door to her room rattled violently. Judy ears shot straight up, her nose twitching. The door rattled again before it swung open, hitting the wall behind it.

A huge tiger came storming into the room, a pistol in his paw, loaded and ready to kill. The second his cold, blue eyes landed on Judy, who had her knees bent in preparation to jump and climb into the vent, he roared, "SHE'S IN HERE!"

A moment later, the sound of hundred of raging paw-steps raced toward her room like a roaring army.

Her violet pupils shrank. _Oh dear God._

The tiger raised his gun, aiming at the bunny.

Unfortunately for the tiger, Judy had already acted.

With one large step, she grabbed the vent lid and launched it like a frisbee at the tiger, letting it slice through the air at high speed.

The vent-lid bashed directly on the tiger's skull. A _crack_ echoed through the room as the black and orange predator fell to the ground, his body still. Blood oozed from his temple, a stream of scarlet fluid staining his fur. The pistol fell by his side.

Guilt put a knife through her heart. Judy prayed— _prayed_ —that she hadn't accidentally killed the tiger. No, she couldn't handle being the cause of another predator's death. She'd be broken beyond repair, then.

Judy jumped, grasping the edges of the vent and boosted herself up. By the time she was on her hands and knees in the vent, her ears caught the heavy paw-steps of the mob of predators wailing from her room.

"Where the hell did she go!" She heard one of them yelling. She crawled faster, panicking.

She took a single second to glance over her shoulder as she crawled silently as she could. A green eye, wide with anger and shock, met her glance, the outer ends of it surrounded in black fur. Possibly a Jaguar. Every strand of fur on her body stood on end. The green eye gleamed with vice, and as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.

"She's in the vent!" She heard one of them yell, and her stomach tied into a knot. _Oh, no. No, no, no, no!_

She increased her crawling pace, tearing the ends of her hospital gown on loose screws and torn pieces of metal as she did.

"Shoot her!" A lighter voice said, a female. "Hurry up and kill her!"

The bunny heard ever petrifying word. Ice cold terror ran up her veins, freezing her blood and bones. Her paws trembled and her legs went numb, but she continued to crawl. She couldn't die, not here.

And she wouldn't, she knew she wouldn't, because fifteen paces ahead of her, there was a sharp turn in the vents that would provide her cover, and also led to Nick's room. She could make it out—

The bunny dared another glance over her shoulder.

Judy almost froze in sheer terror when she saw a paw with obsidian fur point a pistol into the vent. The clicking sound of the gun tore through her very soul.

She crawled faster and faster, until she was practically running on her two feet. She was almost at the turn, just a few more steps. Five in total. She could make it.

The gun was fired.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Three shots.

A tear slid down her cheek. _I'm going to die!_

Her heart stopped as if the organ itself was prepared for its demise.

Tiny drops of her blood flew through the air.

...But she was still alive…

Two bullets tore through her cheek and forearm, both wounds deep and bloody, damaging enough to leave scars. She didn't know what the third bullet had hit, and she didn't want to know. But she was still alive, and that was all that mattered. She could still make it.

So, she ignored the lingering pain in her forearm and cheek, and the fear punching at her heart. She was so close to the turn, she could escape, make it to Nick. She counted down the inches as she neared the corner. _Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven_. She was so close.

"She's still alive, damn it." A predator bellowed.

Judy knew what would come next—gunfire, blood, death… Death… _Crawl faster_. Her instincts pushed. _Faster. You have to survive_.

Judy's ears perked up at the clicking sound of a reloading gun. She crawled faster, her breathing rapid. _Almost there. Almost there._

The black paw pointed the gun into the vent—

Five gunshots were fired, each one echoing like a lone, agonized scream of a jeopardized mammal.

Judy reached the turn in the vents, and she jumped into it, falling flat on her belly, throwing her paws over her head. The bullets punctured the metal wall with ferocious roar. Bullet after bullet lacerated the screaming metal wall, and her stomach stomach lurched with each one.

The gunfire stopped. And Judy's violet eyes flicked back to the bullets whole in the wall, her paws still clutching her head. Nothing—not another gunshot, not a smaller predator coming after her. Nothing.

 _I could've been in that…_ She swallowed a lump in her throat at the thought. She was just glad she hadn't.

Judy hoisted herself on her hands and knees, her violet eyes constantly peering over her shoulder in a state of panic, her arms trembling as she crawled.

She ignored the curses and shouts of the predators', their voices dying down to a thick silence the deeper she traveled into the vents.

Judy's muscles unclenched themselves, and she let loose a breath. _You're safe_ , she assured herself. _You're safe, Judy. For now, though_. It was the truth—bitter sweet, but true. If she wanted to rescue Nick, if she wanted to flee this hospital and carry out their too-simple plan, she was bound to run into danger full force, likely involving predators.

A loose nail poking out the bottom surface of the vent caught Judy's hospital gown, almost stripping the bunny of her thin clothing. Feeling the tug on her shoulders, Judy grasped the bottom half of her hospital gown, and yanked it from the nail. The fabric hissed as it torn free, a chunk of her hospital gown missing.

Judy cursed under her breath, and continued to crawl.

Eight minutes later, she was still on her paws and knees.

The vents were enveloped in a thick blanket of darkness, darkness that even a noturnal mammal would be blinded by. And the ungodly coldness of the vents only made her condition worsen. Every strand of fur on her body stood on end as the chilling air kissed her bare, pink skin and gnawed at her nippy fingers and bruised knees. Despite all that, Judy had kept her senses sharp, listening and smelling for anything unnatural or life-threatening. Mercifully, she had found nothing and that caused a sense of foreboding to stir within her.

Judy just prayed frost-bite wouldn't detach any of her limbs before she escaped these vents, if that was even possible.

Ten minutes later, and Judy began to wonder how the hell she and Nick would escape this riot with their lives. They couldn't race down the hallways. No, they would be clawed and filled with lead, then. And scaling down the building seemed possible, but still… A mob of predators could be waiting outside the building right now, pistols in their paws. Perhaps when she arrived to Nick's room, they would figure something out.

Twenty paces away, a dim light poured into the vents from the floor-up. A vent-lid, Nick's room. Her heart raced with excitement, and she sped up her crawling pace. Ever since the moment she'd been pinned against the wall by Hendricks, ever since the moment Bellwether had threatened her life and broke her confidence, Judy had wanted to see Nick, see him and make sure he was safe, make sure Bellwether hadn't come after him, to kill him. Her heart ached at the thought of Nick dying—she had already seen him die once in dream, a dream that would wake her up at the latest hours of the night, sobbing. Seeing Nick actually die…

She couldn't even imagine the pain she would feel, the loss that would consume her.

Suddenly, a loud, reverberated scream clawed at the bunnies sensitive eardrums. The scream tore through her very soul and made her limbs tremble, because that scream… It had belonged to Nick.

" _No_ ," Judy gasped, and crawled faster—so fast that small cuts opened on her already-bruised knees. Fear shot through her, her breathing becoming rapid and ragged once again.

"Nick," she gasped as she neared the vent-lid, wide eyed. "Nick, no." She didn't dare shout his name, although the temptation was overwhelming. What if he had already been killed, lying on floor in a puddle of his own blood. Tears nibbled at her eyes. _Please be alive, Nick. Please._

Judy peered through the vent-lid, her violet eyes darting to every corner of the room as she desperately searched for him.

When she found him, she had to bite back a gasp.

There, on the far right side of the room, was Nick, pinned against the wall by a ghost leopard. Four other predators stood behind the leopard—a bear, a honey badger, and an otter.

Muscle, lean and developed, shown on the ghost leopard's arms, back, and legs—muscles that belonged to an athlete. The snow white t-shirt and shorts the predator wore were stained in dark scarlet fluid, the blood of prey. And Judy knew for a fact that the ghost leopard wore those white clothes for a reason—he wanted other prey to see the blood of the ones he'd killed in cold-blood—to fear him.

Wrath seeped through her veins.

And despite the fact of Nick being a predator, despite the fact that he had been regarded as a 'savage beast' like all other predators, the ghost leopard wanted to stain his shirt with Nick's blood.

The foxes eyes were bloodshot, his mouth gaped wide open and his chest pumping rapidly as his body tried to suck in oxygen. He was being strangled. And he was dying, slowly but surely.

She wasn't going to let that happen. Judy may have not known the reasoning for these predators to decide to come after Nick. But she was sure about one thing: she was going to save Nick, and show these predators just how dangerous a bunny could be.

Judy's sensitive ears caught the leopard's hiss, "why did you save her, you disgusting creature."

The fires of rage blazed within her. She wasn't waiting around any longer.

With a hard expression, Judy positioned her feet over the vent-lid. And with one powerful kick, the vent-lid clattered to the marble floor.

Judy jumped through the hole a seconds after, landing by the fallen vent-lid, her knees bent and a single paw on the floor.

The predators spun in her direction, their ears perked. Their eyes widened when they realized who had landed in the room.

Judy acted fast, grasping the vent-lid in her paws and let it fly through the air so fast that not even a highly trained soldier could detect it as it neared—

Judy had made damn sure that the vent-lid's target was the ghost leopard. The sadistic beast stained with the blood of the innocent, who had tried to strangle Nick to death and had killed many, many more before then.

The thin shard of metal engraved itself on the ghost leopard's forehead.

He couldn't even howl out in agony before he was knocked unconscious, falling to the floor. Nick fell with the predator, landing flat on his trembling knees his, eyes as red as the many bleeding cuts scattered around his body, holding his bruised throat as he gasped for air.

Judy's violet eyes lingered on Nick longer then they should've.

A fractured tail, she suddenly noticed. The white badges wrapped around the foxes tail told her that much. Why hadn't she noticed that before, after multiple times of visiting Nick in his room, alone? And the bandages hidden beneath his hospital gown, disguised as little bumps in the fabric, revealed even more cuts she hadn't taken heed to before; a bandage on his upper back and on his shoulder. From the fire he had saved her from.

Later. She would have to worry about that later, because now… Now she had to battle her way to safety, it was either die now or later. She'd find a way to treat Nick's injuries, even if it came to her stealing medicine from a drug store, she would heal him.

The bunnies eyes flicked to the hulking bear wearing a pair of blue jeans and a black shirt. The biggest predator in the room, her next target.

The bear met her gaze, and snarled.

"You're going to be nothing but a pile of meat and bones by the time I'm done with you, _Judy Hopps_." He spat her name like he had shit in his mouth, a wicked grin stretched across his muzzle. The bear then charged at the bunny with a ferocious roar, his claws unsheathed and his teeth bared.

Judy snorted. "As if." And lunged.

With a two powerful steps, Judy was mere inches from the bear in seconds, faster than she herself had expected.

Surprised, the bear actually stumbled just a bit, but he regained his composure as fast as he had lost it. He bent down and roared as he sent his sharp, deadly claws for Judy's belly.

The bear wasn't fast enough.

Judy dodged, jumping two feet back.

The bear stumbled.

And Judy lunged once again. Once she was mere inches from the massive predator, she jumped, and latched herself onto the bear's black shirt.

She crawled up the bear's torso like a cockroach trying to escape the light.

The bear's paws flew widely as he tried to catch the bunny in his grip. But he wasn't fast enough.

She grasped the edges of the bear's shirt-collar in her paw, and flung herself into the air.

Four years of gymnastics in high-school had Judy doing a backflip in mid-air, her knees pressed against her chest, and her violet eyes glaring into the bear's.

The predator didn't so much as flinch when his brown eyes met burning violet.

With a strong scowl and a powerful yell, she slammed her two feet in the center of the predator's throat.

Judy landed on the marble floor, and watched as the giant bear retched and retched, falling back on its heels.

With one last retch, the bear fell flat on his back, unconscious, still. Not dead, she had made not to tried kill him.

Judy stared at the unmoving bear, making sure he wouldn't suddenly spring up and attack. There was nothing.

Her violet orbs flicked to the honey badger and the otter, who stood frozen in terror or shock, maybe both.

She watched as the smaller predator's gazes lingered on the two, bigger mammals she'd taken down with ease.

Then, their matching blue eyes landed on her, and fear danced on their muzzles.

Judy smirked. _You should be scared_. They knew she was dangerous, a monster in bunny skin.

The honey badger clenched his teeth in anger, and slipped a pistol from his pocket. "Let's see how tough you are now, _bitch_." He hissed, loading the gun without looking.

The clicking sound was like a dagger to her heart. The pain, the death that would come with that silent click…

He aimed it at the bunny, who stood frozen in place, her legs spread apart, waiting for the right moment to move, to strike, to do something—she didn't know what she could do. _Think, Judy. Think, think_. Her instincts whispered.

Before she could strategize her a foolhardily plan, before she could scream, there was a flash of auburn, and the honey badger was sent flying to the marble floor, but the pistol remained in its paw.

Nick Wilde was on top of the badger in mere moments, clawing and punching the badger all the while trying to reach for the pistol locked in the smaller predator's paw. But no matter how vicious Nick's attacks were, the honey badger didn't scream in pain or even flinch. He just lay sprawled out on the floor, letting— _letting_ —Nick attack. He wasn't taking any damage.

And Judy knew the dreadful facts as to why, and the dread gleaming in Nick's eyes, suggested that he knew, too: honey badger's had hardened skin. Impenetrable—to even a viper's bite. _Shit_. Shit.

The odds, at this moments, were stacked against them in great numbers. But Judy refused to give in, to look at the worst possible outcome. Glass half full—she and Nick could make it through this. They were so close to achieving their plan, they couldn't give up now.

Her violet eyes flicked to the otter—a female, taller, and, perhaps, older than her—stood in place, watching the fight.

The otter's gaze met hers, and glared it back. Unlike before, no fear shown in the otter's cold, blue eyes. And the way which the female otter stood—knees bent, fist raised, and eyes narrowed—made a clear sign that she knew how to fight; maybe kill.

The otter slipped a pocket-knife from her slim blue jeans, holding it how any professional would—index finger wrapped fully around the blade, and the three others loosely gripping the handle.

A faint smile played on Judy's lips. _Kill—she definitely knows how to kill._

As if they had silently communicated, the bunny and the otter lunged in perfect timing, both light on their feet, both moving with smooth grace.

They were a tangle of metal and punches and claws, dancing in a circle with their paws flying through the air at high speeds.

The otter aimed the knife at Judy's lower rib—her lung, but the bunny blocked the deadly attack, locking their arms together in a tight knot.

A second after, Judy head butted the otter in the nose and then, unlocking their arms, slammed her fist into the female's jaw, hard enough to nearly fracture it.

The otter cried out and lost its balance, but it recovered, quick—almost too quick.

Judy was the first to attack this time, charging and grabbing the otter's paw, which held the knife, and twisted it.

The otter bent over instinctively, grimacing and grunting as it desperately tried to wriggle free.

Judy slammed her elbow into the otter's neck, directly on the spine—over and over and over—

Claws ran across her belly, across the scar tissue beneath her fur, and Judy screamed out in agony—the pain feeling so familiar; filled with terror and heartbreak of a friendship she'd once lost—a clawed friendship.

Judy released her lock on the otter with gridded teeth, jumping back a healthy distance. She put a trembling paw to her cut belly, her hospital gown torn, and the bad memories already flooding into her mind, and her heart. But she made those memories—those nightmares and emotions—dwindle, let them gently wash away from her mind like waves of the peaceful, calm ocean, lit up by the smooth, silky rays of the moon.

Calm—she calmed her mind, and let those painful memories fade into nothing.

And when her mind settled, when her muscles become loss and free… She'd never felt so strong.

"What's wrong, Judy?" The otter purred, nursing the back of its neck with a single paw. "Did you think you could kill me as easily as you did that Jaguar—a predator."

The mention of the Jaguar made her heart throb, but Judy said, without a hint of guilt in her voice,"that's if, your species is even considered to be predators—as small and weak you otters are." The bunny said, smiling sweetly.

The otter growled, baring her teeth and letting her fur fluff out. The wrath roared within the otter's eyes sent just a little whisper of fear through her heart...

The otter's back was arched as she hissed, "you bitch. You specist, _self-centered bitch_!"

Enraged, the otter hurled the knife at the bunny, the blade sang as it sliced through mid-air.

Judy's heart skipped a beat, and she side-stepped, the blade slicing a few strands of fur from her neck. She shivered. Her violet eyes followed the airborne knife as it flew and flew through the air until it impaled the wall eight feet behind her—impaled the wall as if it were a bullet shot from a gun.

Suddenly, Judy's ears perked at a savage wail. She whipped her head in the direction of the otter, eyes wide, heart racing, and nose twitching.

Claws came soaring toward her cheek, unsheathed and ready to tear flesh. But Judy dodged with graceful ease, staying light on her feet, her muscles relaxed.

The raging otter lunged again, its fighting posture sloppy and unbalanced—consumed in her own hatred.

Judy dodged with ease.

The otter stumbled, arms outstretched.

 _My opening._

Judy took that opening, and kicked the otter in the stomach with all her might, her hospital gown rising with her attack, exposing the wholeness of her naked body. But, thankfully, Judy hadn't noticed, not had the otter.

The otter gagged, her paws flying to her stomach, clutching it, and her head bowed as she gasped for air.

Judy acted before the otter could recover, running on the edges of her feet. It was about time she ended this fight, for the sake of the current events and for Nick, hopping his condition wouldn't take a turn for the worse.

For a mere moment, Judy expected the worse to come when her violet eyes—so unexpectedly, so instinctively as if her heart could sense the little particles of danger dancing through the atmosphere—flicked to where the angry cries and pained grunts of Nick fighting off the honey badger. She only saw Nick in those short, dreadful moments, still on top of badger, punching and clawing at the its hardened skin, until a fist covered in black fur slammed into his cheek, and he yelped. Nick fell on his back with a groan, before the badger climbed on him, its claws unsheathed and—

Judy looked away. Her eyes suddenly fell on the pistol laying on the floor not even two feet away from the brawling predators.

If the honey badger somehow grabbed that pistol and used it against Nick…

Judy charged faster and faster, her eyes narrowed on the otter who was too deeply dazed to even realize what was coming.

With one, swift roundhouse kick to the head, the otter was sent back-first onto the marble floor, still. The slight rising and falling of her chest was the only sign that the female predator was still alive.

Judy, staring down at the unconscious otter, let out a relieved breath. This otter would wake up to see another day… _And hopefully create a different perspective of life_ , Judy thought. _Hopefully they all would._

"Get off me, you low-life. Get off!" A voice wailed.

Judy spun in the direction of the scream, her nose twitching. She already knew what to expect before she spotted Nick and the badger.

The honey badger was on top of Nick, who had his arms over his face as he was clawed, over and over and over again.

Speckles of blood stained marble with every swipe of the badger's claws, and with each and every swipe, Nick screamed out in pain.

Fear, anger, hatred, and dread—those were the emotions that drove her to charge at the badger with an angry cry.

"Get off him!" Judy wailed as she stormed toward the badger, faster and faster, until she was nothing but a gray blur moving at the speed of a bullet. She jumped, her knees curled into her chest.

The honey badger could only look in Judy's direction, before feet struck its snout.

The speed at which she flew, the force she applied to her powerfully built calves, had the honey badger flying off Nick, hitting the wall behind it with a sickening thud. Its hardened skin not being able to block Judy's attack.

The honey badger lay unconscious against the wall, its tongue hanging loose from its mouth.

Judy scowled at the badger, at the blood staining its obsidian claws—Nick's blood.

Judy ears perked up at a pained grunt, and she turned to Nick, every trace of anger in her expression vanishing. _Oh, Nick_. Tears burned her eyes as she jogged lightly to his injured form.

* * *

Pain.

The word clang through him like a giant, reverberative bell—through his fractured tail. Not severe pain, though, but just enough to make him curse under his breath. Nick clenched his sharp, pearl teeth as he slowly sat up from the marble flooring, his assaulted abs, which had suffered endless punches, courtesy of the ghost leopard, screamed out in agony.

If he could just stand on his own two paws, he would… "Nick," a voice, beautiful like the sunset dipping into the golden-hued horizon and as comforting as a mother's warming hug, said lightly.

Nick gazed into Judy gentle violet orbs, admiring the beauty of them as if he were staring at a diamond. Nick gave Judy that smug grin that she always smiled or rolled her alluring eyes at. Though his grin was weak, wavering.

And Nick could've sworn he saw hurt flash in her features—hurt as if she'd seen that weak, broken smile somewhere before.

"Hey, Carrots," Nick rasped, his voice hoarse from screaming in agony from the many brutal attacks he had received. He continued to push himself up, his arms trembling.

Judy stuck her fluffy paw out as a response. _Let me help you_ , her guilt-stricken expression seemed to say.

Nick's face was full of concerns as he took her small paw in his, grunting as Judy helped him to his feet.

Nick stumbled back when Judy enveloped him in a tight hug, her head buried into his broad chest. His arms were raised as he stared down at the bunny with wide eyes, surprised by the hug. Nevertheless, he eventually relaxed his arms and hugged her back, stroking her droopy ears.

Judy purred as she nuzzled Nick's chest, her eyes closed and her cotton-tail twitching.

Nick grinned widely down at the blissful bunny. "You enjoying yourself there, Carrots?" He asked in that sly tone.

Judy lifted her head from the fox's chest, meeting Nick's cocky gaze. "Shut up, you dumb fox," she said in a stern, yet playful tone—a chuckle mixed in with her words. "Don't ruin the moment."

Nick chuckled back in response. "As you wish, my dumb bunny."

Judy rolled her eyes, a grin playing on her lips, and relaxed her head on his chest again. "I'm just glad you're okay." She said softly.

"Or in this case, alive." Nick added, gingerly running his claws down her flat ears. His sea-green eyes flicked down to the cuts and bruises scattered across his arm.

After a couple moments of purring and nuzzling, Judy finally unlatched herself from Nick. Then, her violet eyes fell on Nick's injured arm, at the bruises and splits in his flesh, her gaze lingering.

Nick followed her gaze, and he cursed inwardly.

Judy looked up at him, her eyes full of worry. "Nick… Your arms—"

Nick raised his paw. "Don't worry about it, Carrots—it's nothing severe. For now, let's focus on escaping this riot with are lives, okay?."

The bunny stared down at the marble floor, hesitation dancing across her muzzle. A few moments later, Judy's violet eyes flicked to Nick's, and she said, "fine, Nick, but after we escaped this riot, I want our next priority to be healing your injuries." A demand, not a request.

Nick nodded as a response.

"Okay, then." Judy said, heaving a breath. "Let's find ourselves an escape route."

Nick held up his index finger. "Before we do that, Carrots, let me grab something."

Judy raised a brow. "What is it you have to get."

Nick did a short, quick jog to the badger's pistol lying on the floor. He grabbed the pistol—the size of the weapon fitting his grip perfectly—and checked its ammo. _Seven bullets_ , he counted inwardly. He reloaded the pistol with a click.

"Just in case we run into any more trouble, this," he said, pointing the gun upright toward the roof, "may come in handy."

"You're right about that, Nick—nice thinking. But let's just hope we don't run into any more predators, for our sake and theirs." She said. Her gaze fell on the five predators sprawled out on the floor, and Nick could've sworn he saw a shadow of guilt pass through her expression.

Nick's expression turned grim. _Are you still blaming, accusing yourself as a murderer because of that Jaguar, Carrots?_ He wanted to ask her that question, so, so badly. Now that there friendship was renewed, now that she didn't fear him or hate him anymore, he wanted to be there for her, help her through whatever obstacle that was put in her way. He loved her, and the temptation to ask her to open herself up to him was… Painful, to his heart, anyway. But Nick held his tongue, pushing his grim feelings and expression deep, deep within himself.

* * *

They were trapped in the hospital. Nick and Judy had searched and searched for a way out, but there hadn't been a route that wouldn't lead them to being torn limb from limb and filled with holes and lead.

Nick had suggested climbing out the window and scaling the hospital building on the rain gutters, but then, he had suggested otherwise. Because when Nick had peered out that window, with Judy joining him, when they had saw the catastrophic event happening not only at the base of the hospital but on the streets of _Zootopia_ , the blood had drained from their faces.

Predators, armed with guns or gas-pit bottles or knives or whatever weapon small enough to be gripped in a paw, ran up and down the streets. Cars exploded, prey screamed, predators wailed, homes and stores were broken into—prey being dragged out of them with a trail of blood snaking behind them.

Dazzling lights of red and blue flashed as a not-big-enough-group of police officer—prey police officers; ram, rhinos, elephants, hippos—desperately fought off the enraged predators' with the little weapons they had left from the fire; pistols and stun-guns. Bullets sang through the air, and predators and police officer met hard, bloody concrete, dead or injured.

Blood. Death. Fear. Hate. Those were the only words both Nick and Judy could use to describe the sight—the devil-painted painting—before them.

Judy had actually fell back from the window and vomited all over the white marble floor, flat on her knees and her paws clutching her injured belly.

Nick had to push back a cringe.

Judy was still kneeled over her puddle of vomit as she retched and gasped, Nick standing behind her, a dark, auburn paw placed on her back; the pistol in the other, pointed safely away from flesh.

As Nick comforted Judy, he couldn't stop himself from looking out that window, not even bothering to blink. _Why is this happening? What has this city come to that predators need to riot in order to get what they want?_ And if he and Judy did mange to restore peace among predators and prey, what would be the after effect of… All of this? The questions lingered. He wanted an answer.

 _Another time, Wilde. Another time._

When Nick was sure Judy was done emptying her stomach, he said, "you know, we have no other choice, right?" He said. It was true.

The barely visible nod of her head told him she knew. They were going to have to climb down the building, avoiding the riot going on below all the while. The vents were too small for him to crawl through, and the hallways were too deadly to step foot in.

"Judy," Nick said, his voice calm despite the situation around them.

There was a scream, and a gunshot, then silence—gut wrenching silence; silence that belonged to a corpse, a bloody, butchered corpse—

Nick felt as if he himself would vomit, too. They had to escape, and quick.

"Carrots, come on, we have to hurry." Nick pushed, glancing back at the door Judy had locked after she'd defeated the five predators.

Another scream, another gunshot, which was too close to their room—way too close.

Judy slowly rose to her feet, her knees wobbling.

Nick gazed at her—at the three-mark claw mark running down her hospital gown, and the blood beneath—and sympathy, tear burning sympathy, gleamed in his pine-green eyes. He wanted to say something, anything, but… He just couldn't.

Because back then, he hadn't been the one to stand on that podium, and mark predators as savages unintentionally. Judy had made that mistake—and… She was suffering for it.

Even though she had regained her happiness and casted away the agony and despair, she was still paying the price. God forbid if she falls into a depressed state again like she had weeks ago. If only he could be there for her, as something closer.

Nick watched Judy as she breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, over and over again, calming herself. Her shoulders became relaxed, and the quivering in her muscles ceased.

She looked at Nick, her expression calm—but still… There was a tint of sadness, deep, heavy sadness. "Let's go," she said, and headed for the window, Nick followed.

And as he ran, Nick stared and stared at her, something throbbing in his chest. If _only I had the courage to tell her—how I really feel about her. Not as friend,_ _but_ … he let the thought fade on a silent wind.

They stood in front of the rectangular window, the sunset, blood-red mixed with deep orange, poured in through the transparent material—a perfect setting for the massacre happening in the streets. Judy glanced back at Nick, gesturing her head toward the window.

Nick nodded in understanding, aiming the pistol at the window, and fired with a flinch. The glass screamed as it shattered, falling out of the pane. Hopefully, no one below would get caught in the raining glass.

Shards of glass remained stuck in the pane, the sunset snaking through them and beamed onto the white, cracked marble floor.

Quickly, Nick rushed to his hospital bed—or rather, his torture prison—and pulled the thick, white blanket off the mattress with a grunt. He tossed the blanket over the pane and the glass shards. He glanced back at Judy, gesturing with his dark, auburn paw for her to go.

The bunny nodded, boosting herself over the pane and outside the building. Hanging from the windowsill, she carefully dropped herself down onto the stone ledge poking out around the building, keeping her abs tight, balanced.

Nick followed seconds after, landing behind Judy on the ledge, focusing his gaze away from the blood-stained concrete below. He'd always had a fear of heights, ever since being thrown out of the drain pipe like a rag doll during the Emit Otterton case, that is.

If he were to take one misstep and slip off the ledge…

"Let's hurry this up, Carrots," Nick said, his back pressed firmly against the white wall of the building, his slender fingers clutching the pistol in his paw.

Judy side-stepped on the ledge once, and then froze mid-step, her gaze turning to Nick. "What's your plan for when we reach the ground, Nick—you know, so we don't get butchered on the spot."

Nick's sea-green eyes flicked to down at the street far, far below, and back up. His stomach dropped like a stone and his body went numb. His breathing was rapid as he said, "I don't know, I don't know. Look, could we just reach solid ground first, please?" An actual plea, no sarcasm.

The slight downward tilt on the edges of her mouth was the only sign of her hesitation. But she nodded in agreement anyways, and side-stepped along the ledge as quickly as she could, her pink nose twitching violently—probably because of the thought of being spotted… Up here… With no way to defend themselves. It scared him as well.

Side-step after side-step, Nick was wondering, planning what he and Judy would do once they reached the ground. But his efforts of planning were in vain—each plan had too many flaws to count. Fate would have to decide whether they lived or died.

Nick gazed at the sharp outer corner of the building, which lead into a dark alley. Perfect—an alley was perfect place for them to touch solid concrete and plan their next course of action. That's if, there was a way for them to get to the ground.

He dared a glance down at riot below—explosions, guns, and dazzling lights. _This riot isn't going to die down anytime soon,_ he realized.

His heart twisted into a knot.

The longer this riot went on, the more blood would bathe the streets of Zootopia. At least they hadn't been spotted. At least they had a plan to stop this, to put Bellwether behind bars.

They turned the sharp corner, and entered the alley. And even from the height at which they were at, eleven stories off the ground, thick, black darkness clouded their vision—or Judy's, anyway.

"Nick," she called. "I can't see anything, where's the gutter."

With his born-given-gift of night vision, Nick was able to see the gutters clearly—a black, unsteady pipe, snaking down the building to the lone alley below. Strange that they would have the gutter in this particular area. Normally gutters were placed on the corner of the building or the front; but Nick couldn't care less. It was a way for them to reach the ground, and that was all that mattered.

"Just five more paces away, Fluff. You'll know when you're near it, trust me." He said, his focus locked on her feet, on every attentive step she took. Ever since saving her from the fire, he had felt… protective over her. Strangely, he had invited that feeling rather than shun it. Besides, she was his friend; wasn't that what friends did?

Judy had stumbled when she had ran, unknowingly, into the gutter. But Nick had been at her side in seconds, his paw placed firmly on her hard belly. "You okay," he asked softly, his pine-green eyes locked on her beautiful face.

With his paw on her belly, he felt the stiffness of her body and heaviness of her breathing. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She assured. "Thank you." The rise and fall of her belly calmed to a normal beat.

Nick stood upright, removing his paw from her belly. "Anytime, Carrots," he said loudly and proudly. A sly grin stretched across his muzzle. "Just try not to trip again, my clumsy bunny." Through the thick layer of darkness his specialized vision so easily pierced, Nick saw a fragment of a smile appear on her thin, alluring lips.

 _Good_. At least she wasn't withdrawing herself from the world—from him. Or focusing on the riot that she had truthfully caused. As long as she smiled and laughed, as long as he could glimpse at the old Judy he'd once knew, he would always feel complete. And Honestly, Nick loved knowing that he made her smile, feel that happiness that she so desperately needed with his sly attitude and his immature jokes.

"Whatever, dumb fox," Judy chucked, grasping the gutter in her paws, carefully. "Let's hurry up and get to the ground. I think I know where to go, so just follow my lead, okay." She said, placing her feet on the gutter.

Nick saluted as best as he could on the ledge. "Yes, ma'am." He said in a playful tone.

Judy rolled her eyes and slid down the metal pipe. Nick followed her soon after.

* * *

He had almost slumped in relief when his feet touched solid ground—or concrete, whichever. Hopefully, he wouldn't have to jump off or climb anything more than five feet off the ground for a long, long while.

"Nick, hurry up," Judy said in a whispered loud enough to be heard over the furor, gesturing him with a wave of her fuzzy paw. He chased her down the alley, staying close to the wall. The bunny stood at the alley, her back turned to him as her eyes wandered the streets. It had grew louder, more horrifying—the screams, wails, and gunfire. Fear seeped through his veins, and his paws trembled.

He glanced down at Judy, who was still peering out. Her whole body was quivering as if she were out in blizzard, naked. She was just as scared as he was—tenfold, perhaps.

Nick tapped her shoulder, but she didn't turn to face him. "Carrots." He called, to get her attention.

She still didn't give him any attention.

"Carrots, have you found—"

"GET BACK," Judy shouted with a whisper. Nick followed Judy's actions, pressing his back against the wall and suppressing his breath.

His heart skipped a beat when a lion, armed with a shotgun, raced passed them with bared teeth, mere inches from where they hid. The lion hadn't given the alley a second glance. This time, he sagged in relief with his back slouched, his paws clutching wobbling knees.

Judy then tapped his shoulder frantically. Still slouched over, Nick's sea-green eyes flicked to her violet. "What is it?" He said, panting as if he ran a marathon; seeing that ginger run pass them unknowingly, at such a close distance…

Judy jagged her finger outside to the street outside. "Look over there," she said.

Nick obeyed, his gaze following the direction the bunnies finger pointed in. His ears shot straight up and his eyes went wide when he saw the jet-black car, abandoned in the middle of the road, all four doors open. Because of his many years of hustling for money, food, tools, and cars, Nick knew the exact model of the vehicle. _2017 Volvo xc60… Whoever had abandoned that mini-van, must've had a family, if all four doors were left open_. He prayed that family had made it out alive.

Nick looked down at Judy, meeting her gaze. _Are you ready for this?_ Her determined gaze said.

Nick returned that gaze, and nodded. "Let's do this."

They burst out from the darkness of the alley, and into the streets.

Prey police officers and prey civilians were still being murdered on the spot, beaten with solid objects, or butchered by knives and bullets. It was still a blood fest, the screams of anger and agony and fear were just as loud as before.

 _Ignore it, Nick. Keep running! Keep running for the sake of your life!_ He obeyed that unknown voice. Sprinting and sprinting and sprinting, all the way to the jet-black Volvo, Judy ahead of him.

But at the corner of his vision, his swimming vision, Nick saw several predatory pair of eyes locked on them both. Then, fingers were thrown in their direction. The raging shouts came next.

"IT'S JUDY HOPPS!"

"DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!"

"GET THE BITCH! KILL HER!"

"BLOW HER HEAD OFF!"

The shouts rattled his skull, and made his heart skip multiple beats. Bullets. The bullets would come next, and if they didn't make it in time…

Judy practically dove into the minivan and into the driver's seat, sitting straight up and frantically searched for the keys.

Nick came in next, slamming the door shut, the two back ones still open. " _Keys_ , Carrots. Where are the _keys_!?" He shouted, his pine-green eyes darting outside the window and back.

"I got them," she said, lifting them from the floor. They clattered as they hung from her paw, gleaming in the deep sunset.

Judy slammed the keys into the ignition, activating it with a hard turn. The engine started up with a roar—

Bullets showered the mini-van with dents and cracks, each one louder and sticking deeper into the car than the last.

Nick was a trembling mess in his black leather seat, his head ducked below the dash-board and his teeth clenched.

His window shattered, and every strand of fur on his body shot up like knives, as if it would tear through his hospital gown. And Nick, for that single, horrifying moment, raised his head and pinned Judy down with a desperate glare. "GET US OUT OF HERE, JUDY!"

The car sped off with a violent screech, and Nick was thrown back in his seat as the minivan raced down Main Street at tremendous speeds, bullets still exploding in the body with sparks and dents, and the back doors being closed from the force.

Nick slouched back in his seat, breathing a relieved sigh, his eyes closed. He then sat up, glancing at the rear-view-mirror with worried eyes.

The predators who had chased them a second were far behind them, but still, even as they drove, they still passed by screaming mammals and flying bullets and dried blood.

Nick actually felt guilty that he had let off such a relieved sigh. These mammals—these prey were in hell. And it was all because of that sheep—that God damn sheep: Bellwether. The name alone made his jaw tense.

It wasn't until then that Nick realized he was clutching the pistol in his paw, hard. The metal material groaned, as well as Nick's fingers. The fox grimaced, releasing the weapon and setting it down in his seat.

When he set the pistol down, his emerald eyes slowly looked up to Judy, still driving with her foot pressed firmly on the peddle, eyes wide with horror. Her breathing was ragged and heavy, with the sides of her mouth trembling, almost as if she would break down into sobs. And her muscles, including her tiny chest, were spazzing.

Everything they had been through today had been heart-wrenching, especially the riot. He had been on the edge since the moment those five predators had busted into his hospital room and attacked him. He may have been scared then, but with Judy, being a rabbit, had a disadvantage in the face of danger, since rabbits were scared so, so easily. At times, it was hard to believe that fact—that Judy was a rabbit.. at times she was so confident, so good at suppressing that natural fear, that he forgot she was even a bunny at all.

But now that they have ran through hell… Again, nearly dying; after months of her facing riots and fighting off predators trying desperately to kill her, she could no longer cast away that fear. Instead, it simmered through her very being.

So, with his sea-green eyes lingering on her, and Nick reached out slowly and gingerly cupped her fluffy cheek in his dark auburn paw.

The car swerved slightly with a scream, and Judy went stiff, her breathing becoming deranged. But her head didn't budge, as if she would be killed on the spot if so much as a muscle twitched.

"Judy," Nick said with a soothing voice, one that he rarely used. He stroked her fuzzy cheek, up and down. "It's me. Calm down, please. I'm here for you." Slowly, her breathing decreased.

"I'm here," he repeated. If he could just pull her against him, embrace her…

"I'm here."

Her breathing turned steady, and her shoulders relaxed. "I know," she cooed, reaching up and grasping Nick's paw in hers. She moaned as his paw stroked her cheek with tenderness meant for a queen—a lover. "I know. Thank you, Nick."

Nick smiled warmly—a smile he hadn't given since she offered him the chance to become her partner in crime fighting. He opened his mouth to say something—he froze mid-speech.

There was a rumbling sound, multiple rumbling sounds, coming from behind them. Nick eyes snapped to the mirror, and his stomach sank. _Today is not are_ _lucky day for either of us, isn't it?_ Five trucks were behind them, each one containing two predators of all sorts. _Shit_. Shit.

Nick whipped his paw from Judy's cheek and went for the pistol next to him, grasping it. "Carrots, drive faster." He demanded without looking at her.

"Way ahead of you." The car lurched with a growl from the engine, faster and faster. She took one second to glance at him, at the pistol in his paw.

"What are you going to do?" She asked a questions she already knew the answer to.

"Doing my part," Nick replied, loading the pistol. A sly grin played on his lip. "I'm just going to make their tires a little… Saggy."

Judy didn't smile back. "Be careful, Nick, please." He saw it in her eyes, in her deep violet eyes, the whispers that slithered through her mind; whispers that were meant for him. _I can't lose you again. You're all I have left._

There was a moment of silence, and then, "I will, Carrots." And flicked shards of glass off his broken window. He would be careful, for her sake, he would.

 _You're all I have left._ He let those words sink into his heart and mind.

Suddenly, a mass army of bullets rained over the car. The car swerved, and Nick glanced back at Judy, who's fur was on end, and her eyes wide.

She glanced at him. "I'm fine—just take care of them."

Nick nodded.

He sucked in a breath— _no guts, no glory_ —and pocked his head out the window.

For one second, he aimed. And for the next, he fired, three bullets.

A tire exploded into the sparks, and the car swirled and shifted, hitting a parked car on the side of the road. The mammals already running down the sidewalk screamed louder. And Nick hoped no one had been hurt.

The moment the first truck had crashed, the predators paused their firing.

 _Take that chance, Nick. Take it._ His instincts roared. The fox obeyed those ancient whispers, and once again poked his head out the window.

One bullet was fired from his pistol, one single bullet, and a truck at the front of the caravan did a front flip, landing on its roof. And exploded into flames and gas and smoke.

The explosion caused another car to loose its control, and it sped into an ice cream shop, luckily, having no civilians inside. Flames danced from the crashed truck.

Nick's head shot back into the car, reloading his gun, his gaze lingering on it.

"Holy crap, Nick!" Judy exclaimed from the drivers seat, the engine rumbling in the background.

Nick looked up at her, confused. "What?"

"Where in the heck did you learn to handle a gun that good?" Her eyes were still on the road, the screaming, bloody road, but she would glance at him occasionally.

Nick grinned. "Finnick can make an excellent teacher at times—I got to owe it to the little guy."

Despite their situation, despite them driving through a street filled with death and fire and fear, Judy chuckled. "I'm pretty sure he would kill you if he ever heard you calling him 'little guy', based on his tempter and the little 'good bye' kisses you give him."

The fox laughed. "He probably would, and wear my fur as a coat, too." He smiled.

A bullet shattered their back window, and both of their bodies went stiff.

"We should probably focus on losing these predators." Judy suggested, her eyes locked on the road.

"Agreed."

Gunshot after gunshot rang from the cars tailing them.

Nick dared a glance back. Two cars left, he counted. He checked the ammo of the pistol. He hissed a curse. There were only three bullets left. He would have to make this count.

Bullets were still flying through the air as Nick stuck his head and paw out the window, aiming—

"HOLY SHIT!"

Seconds. He only had seconds for his sea-green eyes to snap to Judy… And the massive truck ramming into their side.

Judy screamed; every window in the car shattered; the trucks engine roared as it bashed and bashed the mini-van.

The car toppled over, over and over again. Judy flung from the driver's seat and face-first into Nick's chest.

Nick's world plunged into darkness.

* * *

 **Hey, guys! I hope you enjoyed this action packed chapter. So tell me: what did you think of it? Good? Bad? Leave some reviews while you're at it.**

 **Also, I would like to give shout-out to my favorite author, Major Wolf. If you'd notice the decrease of typos in this chapter, you can thank him for that. He's been a really big help to me, and without him, this chapter wouldn't be possible, or as good as it is. So take a moment to check out his profile and his story, "Till Death do us Apart". A beautiful Zootopia fanfic-I highly suggest you check it out.**

 **Well, that's all I have to say for today. See you in chapter 12.**

 **Peace!**


	12. No Regets

_6:34 pm_

* * *

Darkness—it was all he saw, all he tasted as he floated in a space filled with nothing. The darkness, the death, tasted dry and foul, toxic and scorching.

Maybe this was the afterlife, maybe this was hell… For what he'd done to her, Judy, the bunny he loved. He had deserved this fate, and now he would forever float in a black space, blind, numb, and dead.

He screamed—a scream filled with agony, despair, and regret—but he heard nothing. There was no scream; there was no tears or blood or gore. There was… nothing. This was hell.

And he was forever damned.

* * *

" _Nick_ ," a voice, far too familiar, called, panicked and desperate. He mumbled what could've been a name, but he didn't hear a single word that slipped through his teeth.

"Nick, please, wake up!" That familiar voice cried, and he felt a something wet and warm drip onto his bruised cheek—or at least, he thought it was his cheek.

"Nick, please." It was whimper this time, filled with sorrow and regret. The soft, sweet voice, and the feminine tone of it… It was all so familiar, so pleasant.

So he reached out for that voice, and latched onto it for dear life, pulling himself from this empty void that clouded his mind and soul and whatever part of him that still existed. He pulled and pulled on that voice, climbing and climbing, drawing himself nearer to the crack of violet light that slithered through the invisible door of blackness.

He climbed and climbed and climbed—

Nicholas Wilde groaned as his pine-green eyes slowly slid open, his vision blurry. He was met with glossy, amethyst eyes, filled with pain and fearful-loss. His eyes opened wider, and a dim, almost grayish light peirced his vision. "Carrots," he groaned, barely a sound. That name brought a sense of humor and peace to his mind; no agony or despair like the empty darkness had given him. "Carrots," he said again with more strength in his vocals.

Relief flooded those beautiful violet eyes, and the face they belonged to, a bunnies face, . A tear streamed down the bunnies fluffy, gray cheek . "Oh, Nick," she whimpered, throwing her arms around his neck. "Thank God you're alright." She then wrapped her legs around his torso, pressing her body against his.

He grunted as he hoisted his head up slightly to gaze down at the cooing bunny, who lay on him as if he were a pillow. He wanted to remember her, or at least something about her—even the littlest details would satisfy him.

Then, as if his brain had enough fun of torturing his mind and hi soul, the memory hit him like a brick—the name of the bunny, and everything they had went through earlier; the riot, the car chase, and… And the truck that had rammed into them.

 _Oh, God, the truck, the predators, the pistol. Where are we? Why is it so dim and quiet?_

Nick shot up from where he lay, his eyes wide and ears perked up sharp. He studied his surrounding. The walls and floors and ceiling were a dead, plain gray; mini-billboards and posters for propaganda littered the walls and the pillars. And the railroad running along the underground place made obvious as to where they were.

 _A subway?—how the heck did…_

Nick's sea-green eyes flicked down to Judy, who was still latched onto his torso. "Relax," she soothed, her gaze meeting his. "We're a long ways from the riot, the predators won't find us here."

Nick's arms shifted beneath him. He stared at her beautiful face and that deep sea of violet, studying her for any trace of buried emotion."How did you get me—well, us—out of there alive; the car crash, I mean."

It wasn't until then, when he examined her with an almost predatory eye, that he noticed the purple bruise beneath the gray fur of her cheek.

He stopped his eyes from lingering on that bruises. How had she gotten it? Who had given it to her? Rage burned within him.

"It was difficult, but I dragged you out of the car wreck and then here, the whole way—you aren't anything light to carry or drag, by the way," she answered, placing both her paws on his broad chest and boosted herself off him, resting on her knees beside him.

Hoisting himself up more, Nick looked her up and down for a quick second. There were more torn places in her hospital gown than there had been before—the fabric on her chest, arms, and… _Oh God_ … And in-between her thighs, so close to _that_ part. Nick didn't allow himself to look there a second longer.

The bunny must've seen his worried gaze, the silent question he so badly wanted to ask. Because she glanced down at the cuts in her gown, and said, "these are from the car wreck we'd barely survived." She pointed to the bruise on her cheek and the cuts on her gown. "The car was in flames when I woke up. Luckily, we hadn't been consumed in them—although, I had to leave the pistol behind, I didn't have time to get it."

He had smelled and tasted smoke while he was locked in the darkness of his mind. But, he had heard screaming too. Had those predators…

As if she had read his mind like a book, she said, "don't worry—none of the predators were waiting by the car when we got out. I guess they assumed we died in that wreck, with the car being turned upside down and engulfed in flames. Really, it was a blessing they hadn't stood by."

Indeed, he couldn't image how it would've been for Judy to fight off a whole mob of predators on her own, with him sleeping on his ass. They both would've been dead a long time ago.

Nick let out a relieved breath. She was okay, and he was alive, that was all that mattered, injuries or no. "So, how long have I been out?" A question that had, strangely, been at the back of his mind.

Silence filled the subway, almost unbearable. "Five hours," she said, the dim, underground space turning her voice into an echo.

The foxes eyes went wide. "Five hours," he repeated. That long—he had been gone for that long.

"By the time we got here, it had already been two hours, and you were still unconscious, still just… lying there." She paused, her lips thinning. "Three hours later, you'd still hadn't shown any signs of waking up, and I could barely hear your heart beat."

With Judy having her sensitive hearing, his heart beat must've been low—so, terrifyingly low.

"And when I called out your name for hours, you still didn't wake up… I thought you were…." She paused, swallowing a lump in her throat. "I thought you were gone…" Her voice was coated with misery, and the way she said it…

Nick looked at her sympathetically, and he opened his mouth to say something—

Judy shook her head, as if she were clearing her thoughts. "No, everything is going to be fine from here on out—now that we don't have to worry about predators butchering us alive."

Nick didn't know if Judy was addressing him or musing, he couldn't tell.

She continued, her violet eyes locking with his emerald. "Let's just find a place to spend the night, or maybe a few days, in." She suggested, standing to her feet.

Nick did the same, grunting slightly. His body was so, so sore—sorer than he would admit. He asked, brushing his dirty hospital gown, the white fabric littered with black and green stains. "But where, though?"

Judy ambled toward the railroad snaking through the subway, gesturing her paw to him. "Just follow my lead, I know where we're going." She said, and walked onto the stone and silver metal railroad.

Nick followed her, jogging lightly until he was by her side. He didn't bother asking where they were going—he honestly didn't care.

Judy looked up at Nick, who walking beside her. "Besides," she added, "where we're going, your night vision will come in handy." She said, walking a step closer to him, close enough for her to grasp his paw in hers.

Nick noticed her action, and smiled lightly. He then glanced at the railroad, and the poorly-lit tunnel it ran into. He turned to Judy. "Well, obviously you'll need me to lead you, Carrots—where would you be without your handsome fox."

Judy gaze shot from him to the ground, her cheeks blossoming with color. "Just go, you dumb fox." She smiled, her violet eyes still looking away from him.

Embarrassment—so typical of Judy. But… Embarrassed from what, though? Had calling himself handsome in front of her really made her react that way. Maybe… maybe she— _no._ He almost shook his head in front of her. _Stop being stupid, Wilde. You're just friends; you're just friends._

But even though he rejected it, there was still a glimmer of hope in him that knew—just knew—she thought of him that way; more than a friend. So he let himself latch into that false hope, hoping that it would somehow give him the courage to confess to the mammal he loved.

* * *

Nick couldn't stop glancing over his shoulder as he and Judy strolled through the darkness of the tunnels, there footsteps light and silent. The ghostly clanging sounds and growls and, very rarely, a scream sent chills down his spine and had him tense. He had to constantly reminded himself that all of it came from the city above, and his imagination tricking his mind out of vice and pleasure.

Nick had suggested they hold paws while walking through the caliginous of these old, musty tunnels. And even in the darkness that shrouded them, Nick saw Judy's deep blush at his suggestion.

"Holding paws?" She had said, her voice shaky with nervousness.

And Nick had smirked at her. "Would you rather hold my tail, my beautiful bunny?" She had looked away from him at that point. Holding a foxes or mammals tail was considered an intimate act—or offensive, depending on the manner. Not that she could grab it without having him barking in pain anyway. His tail was fractured, badly, and hopefully, when they arrived to the place Judy was leading him to, they would have time to somehow heal his tail—not to mention the other wounds scattered across his body, Judy having some as well.

There was a blood-curling scream from the surface above, and every strand of auburn fur on Nick's body rose. He felt Judy tighten her grip on his paw, her steps faltering. Hopefully, she wouldn't fall into a spasm like she had during the car chase.

And then the question came. Was the riot still going on? Something—or someone—old and ancient whispered to him that the answer would have him losing his breakfast.

Nick's pine-green eyes flicked down to Judy, and he gazed at her fur which stood on end and saw the twitching of her nose. She was looking over her shoulder, watching every movement of the darkness stalking on their heels, searching for anything unnatural. Like she expected a gang of predators to leap on her and tear her limbs off and rip her guts open. Maybe that was the case.

"So, Carrots, where are we going?" A question to distract their minds from the terrors above.

Judy's violet eyes snapped to him, the movement panicked and unsteady. But despite the fear dancing in her violet orbs, despite the quivering of her muscles, she answered, with surprising calmness, "the palm hotel." Nick had to admit, she was getting better at hiding her emotions.

Nick's brows rose high. "The Palm Hotel, Carrots? You sure you don't want to rethink that; security guards will probably be crawling over every inch of that place after what happened at the hospital." After. A frown curved on his lips. Maybe the word 'after' couldn't even apply to the what was happening above; if him and Judy still heard screams—agonized screams filled the giving away of vocal cords— _that would mean… mammals are still dying up there, so, so many lives stolen. And all their deaths… It's are fault._ He wouldn't dare tell Judy that.

Judy's violet eyes were locked in front of her as she said, "that's precisely why I want to go to the palm hotel. With the security there, we can rest without looking over our shoulders constantly— it'll be less tense." As if nature wanted to emphasize the bunnies point, there was suddenly a distant clanging sound of metal against metal in the distance behind them. Two pairs of ears, auburn and gray, perked and twitched in multiple directions. And they both glanced over their shoulders for a single second, and then back.

"You see what I mean," she said, increasing her walking pace. Nick did the same, looking over his shoulder once more.

Nick nodded, swallowing a lump in his throat. "But how do you plan to get me into that hotel. I mean, I'm pretty sure they have a 'no predators' sign plastered on the entrance." Perhaps it would better if he brought her to his apartment, deep in low-life parts of Zootopia. They wouldn't have to watch for security or predator discrimination but… His gut twisted into a knot. Judy… He would have to watch Judy.

Judy answered, "I've been there for detective work before, and there's a room I saw—the janitor's room; it has an elevator to each floor of the palm hotel and everything. When I buy our room, I'll inform you, okay?"

Nick nodded, his lips thinning. "Okay. But, Fluff, you're saying this like it's simple—sneaking into a casino isn't exactly easy, you know."

With his night vision, he saw Judy's smirked. "Well, it should be easy, you're my sly fox, aren't you?"

Nick grinned. "I thought I was your dumb fox?" He said, stroking the top of her paws with his thumbs.

The bunny shrugged, her grin widening. "That too."

Nick chuckled, tilting his head back a bit. And then, a thought entered his mind. He looked himself up and down, at the blood staining his already-trashed hospital gown and his fur. He looked back at his tail, his fractured tail. He grimaced. His gaze flicked to Judy, scanning her disheveled form and her slender body—twice.

"So," he began, "you said you were going to buy us a room. Where are you going to get the money to do that?" He asked.

Silence lingered in the darkness of the tunnels.

His head turned to her. "Carrots?"

Judy chuckled nervously. "Ummm… I can't get access to my bank account, since I left all my stuff back at the hospital. So I was thinking…" She froze mid-sentence.

Nick gave her a bland look. "Yeah, you're going to steal it, aren't you?"

Judy sighed in frustration. "We've got no other choice, Nick."

"I know, I know. Even so, I'm really hesitant toward that plan. Judy, you could lose your badge, and your career if a surveillance camera caught a glimpse of your face—you sure you want to do this?"

Her gaze lingered on the cobblestone covered ground. Judy exhaled, "I have a feeling if I keep walking down the path I'm already on, Nick, I'm going to lose my job anyways." Nick's chest caved in at that response.

Her grip tightened on his paw. "I'm willing to lose my job, if it means that we can have a chance at restoring peace among prey and predators."

Nick had to bite back a sigh. _After everything that has happened lately Fluff, I'm afraid that's nothing but a fool's dream now._

Instead of saying his thoughts out loud, he said, "Okay, then, let's do it. But what store do you plan on getting the money from?" Nick grabbed the edges of his hospital gown, grimacing at the dark stains imprinted on the fabric. "Hopefully, it's a clothing shop."

"Don't worry—if these subways are really empty," she paused, looking over her shoulder. No trains, no predators. Only darkness and dust followed them on their heels. "Then everything should run smoothly, and we can get some decent clothes and… borrow a few-hundred dollars." Guilt flashed in her violet orbs at that last part.

"And if not?" The question had came out faster than he could stop it.

Her lips thinned. "And if not… we'll find another way." Her tone sounded confident and solid, but the drooping of her ears suggested otherwise.

Nick's expression was grim. Seems we have no other choice, don't we. The foxes head turned to Judy, and he opened his mouth to say something.

Something bright caught the corner of Nick's vision, and his eyes flicked up, widening, and dark, auburn ears perked. And when he saw where the light came from, he almost slumped in relief. The train station, finally. But the sound coming from it… a large grin spread across his lips.

Silence. Complete, and utterly, silence. He whispered out a prayer of thank you. After hours of disappointment and blood, it looked like something was finally going their way. And Nick was truly grateful for it.

"Carrots," he called, "you see it?"

She nodded, her violet orbs locked on the white light ahead. "Let's hurry," was her only reply; she pulled Nick by his paw, urging him forward.

The fox quickened his pace, nearing the train station. And for some reason, for some unknown, strange reason, Nick found himself dreading entering the empty train station.

* * *

The train station they've arrived in didn't look much different from the one they'd left, save for numerous stores scattered throughout, and the brighter illumination of the place. Nick was still holding paws with Judy as they ambled into the train station, eyes darting in every direction.

There wasn't a soul in the station, save for themselves. And the many stores and restaurants they passed— _oh dear God_ —were left in shambles; dry blood stained the cold, grey floor of the train station and shards of broken glass lay in disarray, white light occasionally glinting on the edgy, transparent surface. _The riot had spread into the subway._ The answer was obvious, and was an explanation for the ghostly silence.

Nick's pine-green eyes lingered on the floor as he took careful steps through the field of glass and blood, Judy following his every step. But from the corner of his vision, Nick saw the bunnies lips tremble, her nose twitching.

Stress. A bunnies nose twitched when they were stressed—or scared. He had his useless biology class in high school to thank for that information.

Nick's expression was filled with sympathy as he frowned. He stroked the top of Judy's paw with his thumb. "It's not your fault, Carrots," he assured, smiling warmly at her.

Judy turned her attention to Nick, smiling back. "Thank you, Nick," she said, squeezing his paw in hers. "Thank you… For being there for me—and for being a good friend."

 _Friend._ That word made something in his chest groan and crack. But he gave her a gentle smile anyway—for her sake, at least. "It's what I'm here for, Fluff. You're welcome."

Those amethyst eyes brightened as Nick gazed into them, and admired the awe-struck beauty and the joy that danced within them.

He then glanced down at their paws, their fingers intertwined with each other—light gray and dark auburn.

His sea-green eyes flicked up to Judy's amethyst, his original trade-mark grin playing on his lips. "So Carrots," Nick began, "how long do you plan on holding my paw?"

Judy's ears were as red as roses as she stared at him, wide eyed. And then ripped her paw away from his, grumbling. "You're just a master at ruining the moment, aren't you," she scoffed, scowling at him.

Nick smirked. "As long as your reaction stays as cute as it is, then yes, I am a master at 'ruining the moment'." He said, winking a brow at her.

Judy punched him lightly in his side—careful not to worsen his injuries. "You're not supposed to call a bunny cute." She pointed out, trying her best to hide her smile, while stepping over a piece of glass.

"I didn't call you cute," Nick said, tapping her pink nose with his autumn-colored finger. The bunnies face scrunched up, her nose twitching. "I called your reaction cute—I outsmarted you there, didn't I?"

Judy rolled her violet eyes. "Dumb fox," she mumbled, and stomped ahead of him.

The fox laughed from behind her, his voice echoing through the empty train station. Judy soon joined him, the shattered glass and blood-stained floors becoming a thought in the back of her head.

* * *

"You spot anything, Carrots?" Nick asked, after five minutes of searching through rows and rows of stores, some of them trashed, some of them still locked up in chains.

Judy sighed in annoyance, glancing at Nick who strolled beside her. "Nick, that is the fifth time you'd asked me that question. Have you found anything?" She asked, stopping mid-step, putting her paw on her hips.

Nick shrugged, stopping beside her. "No," he answered, "but that's why I'm asking you. Can't you rabbits see in like… all directions at once?" He gestured to the space around them with his dark auburn paws.

Judy looked up toward the roof, filled with wires running through the concrete surface and hanging lights, and sighed, shaking her head. "Yes and no. We have a small blind spot in front of our noses." She explained, waving a lazy paw to her nose. "But that doesn't give you a reason to repeatedly ask me the same question."

"Sure it does, your eyesight is more superior than mine," he said with a lazy grin.

Judy huffed out her nose, and walked forward, her hospital gown dancing on a phantom wind. Nick's sea-green eyes followed the bunnies every step. He then followed after her.

Judy gave him a sharp look. "Remind me why I tolerate you." She said scornfully.

He concluded with, "because I'm just that irresistible."

Judy gave him another look, her small pink lips stretched into grin. "Well, you're half-right, Nicky."

The fox snorted. "Nicky—how long did it take you to come up with that one?"

Judy swayed her hips slightly. "Actually, I've been hanging on to that for a whil—"

There was a ferocious roar and a flash of obsidian as Judy was sent flying to the ground.

Not even a second later, a panther was on top of her, pinning her down by her chest with its jet-black paw. And in its other paw was a machete, which the panther brought dangerously close to Judy's throat.

Panic and fear grew within him, even from where he stood, he could see the stiffness of her body, the rapid twitching of her nose, and the fear dancing in her violet orbs. And the blood leaking down from her paws as she desperately tried to push the too-sharp blade away from her throat.

The panther slowly lowered its mouth down to Judy's ears, its blood-stained teeth— _blood stained_ —as sharp as the machete in its paw. "I'll give you a mercy and make it quick, bunny," the predator hissed, loud enough for Nick to hear.

At the hissed words of the panther, and at the machete nearly piercing Judy's throat, something within him snapped—and roared. An instinct that he'd ignored for so many years of his miserable existence; something loving and caring; angry and violent. His protective nature—the will he had to protect the mammals he loved; Judy.

That protective nature tore apart his civilized mind, and released an ancient beast within him. A monster lacking fear and sympathy.

And in that single moment, Nick Wilde went savage.

The fox was on all fours as he charged for the panther, his claws unsheathed, his teeth bared, and every strand of his fur standing on end. "JUDY!" He roared, as he ran faster and faster faster and faster—

Then he jumped into mid-air.

The panther's blue eyes only flicked to the foxes blazing green before claws sank into his midnight muzzle.

The panther screamed, the machete flying out of his paw.

The panther's midnight paws were flying as the predator tried to reach for Nick—

Using his weight to make the panther lose his balance, Nick _slammed_ the back of his head against the cold, hard concrete.

A crack echoed through the train station, followed by a deadly silence.

Nick backed away from the motionless predator, his teeth still clenched and his claws hanging limply at his sides.

His sea-green eyes then fell on Judy, who was still lying flat on her tail, eyes wide and chest pumping violently from underneath her hospital gown.

His conscious mind slowly regained control of his body, cooling the blazing hot fires of his rage, and caging the savage beast within, that protective nature.

Nick calmed himself, relaxing his jaw and sheathing his claws. Breathing in and out through his muzzle, closing his eyes and reopening them.

He directed his gaze to Judy, searching for any fear—fear directed toward him. He found nothing, and he almost sighed in relief.

"You okay," he asked, taking in a heavy breath, calming his still-wailing heart.

Judy's throat bobbed, but she nodded, her violet eyes lingering on the panther—her could've-been killer. Her body suddenly jolted, as if she were slapped herself inwardly, and her head shot in his direction.

She nodded once again, but then said, "yeah—yeah, I'm fine, Nick." She swallowed another lump in her throat. "Thanks—really."

Nick made his way to Judy, who still lie flat on her ass, and held out his dark auburn paw.

A warm smile danced on her pink lips as she took Nick's paw and hers, and stood to her feet.

Her knees, Nick suddenly realized, were wobbling. So badly that he tensed his body, ready to catch her if she ever lost her stature.

Nick said, "you're welcome, Fluff. I think we should hurry up and find a store we can use. I'm done being in this train station, don't you think?"

"Agreed. I'm really not up for any more… Surprises." She glanced at the panther, sprawled out on the stone floor, and her nose twitched—once, twice. Thrice.

They had walked down the row of stores in complete silence, searching and sniffing and listening, for anything out of the ordinary. Judy had stayed very, very close to Nick.

An _Old Navy_ , located near the exit of the train station, had been the only clothes store they could find. The _Old Navy_ , like so many of the other stores, had been trashed. Clothes and blood and glass sprawled across the stone floor like a vast sea of destruction.

Getting into the _Old Navy_ hadn't been a problem, mercifully. The metal door placed on the entrance and the propaganda widows of the store had been torn open, as if some unknown beast had ran it claws down the silver surface of the metal and opened it wider. Nick didn't dare let his mind wonder on how the predators had managed _that._

He had gone through the lacerated opening first, keeping his movements steady and focused, trying not cut himself further on pieces of metal poking out.

His attention had lingered on Judy all the while he slipped through the slit in the metal door, keeping aware of any predators that could surprise attack her and kill her in some, brutal way. The constant twitching of the rabbit's pink nose and her perked ears… She was just as alert as he was. It pained him as well, knowing that she always had to stay so tense and alert.

Sometimes he wished they could trade places, so he would be the one to have to bear the guilt and shame and misery of the too-too-many deaths and raging riots wrecking this city—this… Dystopia. If only… If only…

Once Nick made his way through, his nightgown torn from shards of metal poking out the door, he gestured a paw to Judy after taking a quick scan of the store. Come on, it's safe.

She nodded, inching toward opening.

"Be careful, Carrots," he warned, his voice gentle and caring… and fearful.

Her violet met his burning green, and her lips thinned. She knew what he meant.

Judy took a quick glance over her shoulder, searching for any predators, any attackers. And Nick looked at her, really looked at her with sympathy dancing in his emerald orbs. She was so tense.

 _Why is it only you who is being hunted? Why is it only you who has to carry so much agony._

Nick shrugged off the thoughts, clenching his jaw—it was the only sign he would give of the guilt gnawing at his heart.

Judy slipped through the opening with ease, her slim body form giving her an advantage.

Nick took one more look through that gruesome tear in the metal door, then turned on his heels and walked deeper into the store, Judy by his side.

His sea-green eyes observed the disheveled store, his head darting in every direction. There was blood on the tiled floor of the _Old Navy_ —a lot of it. Trails of scarlet fluid snaked out the store through the gash in the metal door—prey who were beaten half to death and dragged out, he guessed.

A chilling spider crawled down his spine.

Clothes racks were scattered throughout the store, each one a different size according to the species the attire belonged to. Some of the silver racks were thrown to the ground, while other were left standing upright, the clothes dangling from hangars hanging on the rim, wrinkled or stained in blood.

"I'm surprised," Nick said, his brows raised. "This small store has clothes for nearly every species of animal in Zootopia."

Judy nodded in agreement, her violet eyes scanning the multi colored and sized clothes. "Yeah, _almost_. There's a big chance this _Old Navy_ won't have clothes for predators." She paused for a second. "Well, in your case, for foxes."

Nick waved a paw. "Don't worry about me, Carrots—I'll do with whatever I can get."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, Carrots. If I don't find anything here, then we can look somewhere else, okay?" He said, giving her a friendly smile that was an exact copy of Azriel. And smiling like that... so friendly and joyfully... felt good.

Judy's expression was hesitant. She sighed out her nose, then said, "Okay."

* * *

Five minutes later, he was still skimming through racks and racks of shirts and pants, and he still had found nothing that would fit him.

His head turned as he glanced at Judy, who held a black shirt against her torsos—sizing. His ears perked. "I didn't think black was your color, Fluff."

Judy looked at him. "It's not, but I don't want to attract any attention to myself, do I?"

Nick shrugged. "True." He admitted, and went back to searching.

The ruffling of clothes and the clinking of hangars was the only sound that slithered between the two and through the empty store. And then, "Nick."

The fox paused his searching. "Yeah, what is it, Carrots?" He asked, his head shifting to face her.

Judy avoided eye contact with him, her head lowered. "Back then in the hospital, why were those predators attacking you?" Nick saw the fur on her throat—littered with pieces of dirt and God-knows-what bob.

His pine-green eyes widened slightly, and his lips thinned. He knew; knew for a while now, that she would ask that question, but he wasn't ready to answer it… because the answer would only put more weight on her shoulders. So he said, his expression gleaming with sympathy and guilt, "can't that question wait, Judy." He so rarely said her real name.

"Please." His ears went sharp and his eyes widened once again. He knew she already knew the answer to her own question, but—

"Please, Nick, it's been bothering me since I saw those predators…" Tears swelled up in those beautiful eyes, and he felt a sharp, blade gleaming with blood run through his heart. He almost flinched. "Please…" Her voice cracked, as if the emotions she'd held back for so many weeks were about to burst out in one, massive explosion.

Nick clenched his jaw, contemplating. He didn't want to do this... he didn't, he didn't, he didn't—

And then the words slipped out before he could stop them. "It was because of you."

Something—something within her shattered. He saw it in the gates to her soul and the quivering of her mouth. Tell me, please, that broken gaze said—so worn and old…

He bit his tongue, so hard that he tasted blood. Blood, he realized, was what he thirsted for when he attacked that panther.

 _Blood, blood, blood—_

He honestly didn't know what had happened to him when he'd lacerated the panther's face with his claws. What had triggered that… savage monster within him that shaped his ancestors thousands and thousands of years ago.

And he was scared of that beast—that monster; that demon. Scared of what it could do, what it would do if it was ever set free from that cage of steel; if it was woken from its eternal sleep to shake the earth with its roar.

Protective instinct… no, It couldn't have been just that—his hidden love for her, the admiration. It couldn't have been just those emotions—those feelings—that had driven him to act like… a predator, a real, deadly predator. Instincts, blood-lust, and hunger—that was what had torn apart his mental cage, to contain that.

It wasn't until then that Nick noticed his claws were unsheathed, gleaming in the white light slipping in through the gash in the metal door. Then he saw her rigid body and her clenched fist, and the violet eyes that lingered on the weapons build into his body. The weapons that once made her bleed and bleed and _bleed and bleed_ … almost pushed her off that steep cliff and into Death's boney fingers.

Those claws vanished as fast as they appeared, and he saw her body relax, and her fingers ease from her palms.

Nick then said, "they came after me because they knew who had saved you from that fire." He paused, bile building in his throat. "They told me that I was just some prey-loving-bastard, that I wasn't even worthy to be considered a predator." He'd remember the ghost leopard growl those words and then spat in his face. "And it hurt so much, the constant insult and the beating they gave me. It…" he lowered his head, his eyes burning. He just wanted to sob, so, so badly. "It made me hate being a fox, hate being me—that I was considered less; that after fifteen years, I was still an outcast to the world, no matter what I did."

He saw a tears fill the bunnies eyes.

He went on, half musing, "but I didn't regret saving you, though, no matter how badly the punches and the insults hurt. I never regretted it. Because saving you from that fire, having you back as my friend once more, it was all worth it. And if you still hated and feared me after I saved you, I still wouldn't regret it, Judy—never in a million years."

"Even if I was shunned by this miserable city, even if I was killed in the most brutal way invented by these predators, I would never regret saving you from that fire." His knees were wobbling, and his soul was weeping, and his heart… Sometimes he wished he was heartless.

"Nick…" She choked, another tear ran down her cheek—and then another. "I'm… I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry." Her knees trembled, and her eyes reflected the guilt tearing into her soul.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this," her voice cracked. And her lips were quivering as a sob slipped through her teeth.

Nick's expression was full of pain as he stalked over to Judy, his hospital gown dancing with every step. "Don't be sorry, Judy," he reassured, stopping in front of her, putting a finger under her chin. "I don't care what happens to me." He lifted her head with an auburn finger, and her violet eyes met his—so beautiful in the white light pouring in through the outside. "I only care about you, Judy." Another tear, this time from him. "Every second I spend with you is a blessing." He paused, his lips twisting into awkward frown. "Your joyful smile, your optimism, your personality, your… your beauty—you make life worth living, Judy. It's why I'll suffer, why I'll walk into Death's door, because you're worth all of it, Judy."

Judy's blood-shot eyes were wide as she gazed at him. "Nick," she whispered, softly, like snow flakes kissing the earth's pure surface, her tone free of any agony or sorrow.

He went on. "I'll never regret running into that fire to save you—never. And when I saw you tied up in those titanium cables, surrounded in flames, screaming for help and sobbing because you knew your end was near; when I realized that nobody, not even the fire-fighters, hadn't bothered to run in after you—to save you, even when they knew you were trapped in that blazing hell—I'd never felt such rage in my life." His tongue became stiff within his mouth. He couldn't find the will to retell what had happened after, what could've happened after they'd escaped that furnace.

His jaw was loose as he said, "I'm sorry—

Nick eyes popped wide open when he felt her embrace him in a hug, her tears staining his worn-out hospital gown. He felt her heavy-heaving chest against his belly as she choked back a sob. And then, "don't…"she whimpered. "Don't be sorry for anything, Nick—don't. I caused all of this because of my ignorance."

Nick opened his mouth to say something—

"I'm lucky—no, I don't deserve to have you in my life, Nick. I deserve to be thrown into a grave, burning in the pits of hell, but you…" Another tear. "You deserve someone better than me—

"I chose you, Carrots." Her violet eyes shot in his direction. And he smiled, the tear stain still damp on his auburn cheek.

"I chose you." He repeated, stroking her fuzzy, droopy ears.

Judy sniffed, wiping her eyes. She smiled back, weakly, but… Still a smile.

 _Say it_. A stern, deep voice said from within him. Say it. Those three words, those three, passionate words that would shift their entire relationship, and change the way they thought and felt about each other. Prey and predator, bonded together as one.

He wondered if that would start a riot amongst the citizens, from both sides.

 _Say it_. He would, he would, he would…

He couldn't stand it. The nagging feeling of wanting more of her; the want and lust he felt within to be closer to her and protect her.

So Nick took in a deep breath, calming the nervousness flooding his heart—

Metal slamming against metal roared in the distance, followed by a scream—and a growl.

Judy shivered from within his ruined, cut arms, and her grip tightened around him, as if she thought he would vanish if she let go.

Nick's sea-green eyes fell on her. "Looks like we overdid our stay here, huh?" He said, his ears sharp.

The bunny nodded, sniffing once more. "Let's hurry up, then." She said, releasing her grip from him. Nick did the same.

"Let's." He agreed. And they both went searching for clothes without another word.

* * *

Six minutes later, Nick slipped through the torn metal door with brand new clothes and into the train station. Nick scanned his surrounding, his pine-green eyes searching for any unnatural or a lurching figure. _It's safe_ , he told himself, throwing the hood of his black hoodie over his head, folding back his ears.

He then looked down at his jeans—as blue as the vast ocean itself—and grimaced. He'd almost cried out in pain when he'd put his fractured tail through the tail-hole of his jeans. _Shit._ The pain still surged through him.

"We'll find someone who can fix your tail, I promise," she had said.

Nick had only nodded, his tail-bone throbbing.

The fox gestured a paw to Judy, who peeked through the metal door, making sure Nick was safe. At the signal, she immediately by Nick's side, her black, front-zipper top showing off the beautiful curves of her body. And the v-shape in her collar, exposing a glimpse of her furry, white chest… and the golden zipper snaking down her shirt glinted in the white light...

Nick's mind conjured a dirty image, and he imagined himself pulling that golden zipper down, down until her torso was fully visible, free to be feasted upon by many, many kisses—and maybe licks. From him, all of them from him—

Every moan that slipped through her enchanted lips and every squirmy movement that surged through her precious body... all of it from him.

Nick banished the thoughts, taking in a breath to calm his raging lust. Not here. Not now.

He'd taken 6,000 dollars from a cash register he'd found trashed in the back of the store, and split it amount himself and Judy—three thousand dollars a piece. There had been blood staining the cash register. And Nick didn't dare contemplate why, nor had he showed it to Judy.

Cautious, Nick and Judy exited the train station and entered the humid climate of Sahara Square.

* * *

 **Well, that concludes chapter twelve. Tell me what you think of it in the comments. And to all my readers, thank you for sticking with me for this long, even though I do take a while to upload from time to time. Aside from that, thank you so much.**

 **So, with that all said, I wanted to tell you guys something. I plan on writing chapter thirteen in first-person, just to try it out. Third-person, I realized, has been quiet a challenge at times. So you guys tell me if I should carry this out or not.**

 **One more announcement. My imagination, apparently, has decided to work outside my current story, so I decided to warn you guys before-hand that I plan create some one-shots soon.**

 **Here are the summaries.**

* * *

 _ **A Tragic End.**_

 **A monster from the unknown attacks Zootopia, leaving destruction and death in its wake. The military strikes back with everything they have, and in the middle of the roars and the gunfire, Nick and Judy are trapped within their house. The married couples are locked in each others arm as their final moments near. Told in First person.**

* * *

 _ **Roses Today (based off a Zootopian fan-art)**_

 **Spying on a notorious gang selling illegal drugs throughout Zootopia, Judy and Nick come closer to shutting down the economy of theives. But when the gang finally realizes who is screwing up their system, they go after the number one detective in the ZPD, and almost kill her. A heartbroken Nick visits Judy in the hospital with a bundle of roses. Told in first person.**

* * *

 ** _R_** ** _aped_**

 **Judy's boyfriend, Jack Savage, doesn't seemed to be as kind and as loyal as he makes himself look, especially since he was an escaped convict from another country. Told in first person.**

* * *

 **Tell me what you think of the summaries. I'll See you again in chapter thirteen!**


	13. A Devil in Sheep's Skin

_7:37pm_

* * *

Mayor Bellwether's stone, grey eyes were wide as she stared at her most trusted assassin, who was enveloped in white badges running along his torso and his right thigh.

Bellwether placed her elbows on her oak-wood desk, filled with drawers and drawers of government information—illegal to the public eye. "You look like shit," the sheep said blandly, as if she didn't care about his state.

Doug narrowed a slit pupil. " _I've_ been through shit—a lot of it."

She smirked, a piece of golden, evening light glinted off the lens of her bronzy glasses. "Well, you do a pretty good job at getting yourself knee-deep into it."

Doug snorted as he sat back in his black leathery chair, his hazel eyes scanning the large room lit up by a golden hue. "Speak for yourself, Ma'am. I'm surprised you escaped that riot with all your limbs in tact." He said, eyeing the misty glass of water she had offered him moments he arrived. He didn't dare take a sip of it, no matter how thirsty he was, not after hearing about the fate of Bellwether's previous assassin, Cane. The poor bastard.

The sheep's eyes flicked down to her painted hoofs, examining them out of habit. "I have to admit, Doug, I'm surprised myself. There were actually multiple times where I almost died or was injured." A wicked grin spread on her lips. "But you know—her cold eyes locked with his—those rhinos are good at being flesh-shields. I'd say Hendricks almost died trying to protect me."

Doug lifted a brow. "And where do you think Hendricks is heading off to now, may I ask?"

She waved a lazy hoof. "Doctors said he was being sent to a hospital outside of City Central. He's probably dead now, though—those injuries were pretty gruesome." She took in a breath. "Anyway," she began, looking the ram up and down. "What the hell happened to you, and where's your partner?"

There was nothing in Doug's face as he answered, "he's dead."

The sheep's brows rose. "Well, that's unfortunate, bound to happen at some-point, though, but it will be a huge waste of money."

"Also," Doug added, "we had a trail onto Officer Hopps and the fox, but… We lost them in the subway." There wasn't a shimmer of fear in his tone. He knew she wouldn't kill him for his mistakes, unlike the others.

Mayor Bellwether sighed in frustration, stroking her temples with her hoofs. "For heaven's sake, Doug, how did you even lose those two? There're a fox and a bunny, unarmed. Why does it have to be such a challenge for you to catch them!?" She wailed, slamming her forearms on the desk, glaring daggers at him.

A flinch was the only reaction he would give to the Mayor's outburst. "Apparently, a group of nocturnal predators were hanging out in the subway, and when they saw me and Ben passing by, they attacked without mercy. It was how Ben was killed, by the way."

Bellwether asked, "how did you escape?"

"My pistol, obviously—never go anywhere without it." He said with a cunning smile, proud to stand over his murdered victims.

Bellwether gave him a stare that would have most mammals backing away. "You do realize what could happen if those two continue to roam the city, right?" Her voice was soft, yet filled with that murderous aura she so rarely made visible.

Doug picked something from his ear, and flicked it away. "Don't worry, ma'am, I'll have those two dead by morning. I'll go out tonight."

"Not Judy," Bellwether said sternly. "Just kill the fox, Doug." The smile that played on her lips wasn't quit prey-like, or even mammal-like. A monster's smile. "I want to toy around with the little bunny a bit longer before I put her in a grave."

The ram returned her smile. "Roger that. Anything else?" He asked, his hazel eyes lingering.

The sheep waved a hoof. "No. You're dismissed."

Doug nodded, and hopped out of his chair, ambling toward the two roof-to-floor doors that lead out the office. But just before the ram could touch the golden-coated door knob—

"Doug, wait just a minute." Bellwether called, her voice echoing through the darkening room.

The ram turned to the Mayor, his ears perked, listening.

"I have a change of plans." She announced, resting her shoulders on the oak-wood desk, locking her hoofs together. From the giant window behind her, the sun dipped into the horizon, casting a shadow over her other-worldly smile. Even Doug cringed. "Here's what I want you to do."

Doug exited through the spinning doors of city hall, digging through his pockets for his car-keys. "I swear she's a devil in sheep's skin," he mumbled to himself, holding his keys in his hoofs.

Moments later, the ram was speeding down the dimly-lit streets of City Central.

Bellwether had wanted his task to be completed by morning.


	14. Emptiness

**Another chapter... And it was hard to write, by the way. Enjoy... This chapter may not be as long as the others, so sorry for that.**

* * *

 _8:45pm: Sahara Square_

* * *

The sky was enveloped in stars and darkness as Judy drove through the sandy streets of Sahara Square with a stolen Toyota minivan.

She hadn't wanted to steal a car, since she had sworn an oath to be honest and loyal as a cop, uniform on or no. But after fighting off predators, dragging Nick's unconscious body halfway across Zootopia from the car crash, and walking for what seemed like endless hours through the caliginous tunnels of the subway, exhaustion was an understatement to how she felt. She hadn't even walked one block before that Ungodly humidity had her feet screaming and her knees wobbling. And Nick must've noticed her languorous state, because it was him who suggested stealing a car. She had agreed without second thought.

Judy glanced over at Nick, her eyelids droopy from fatigue. The fox sat in the passenger seat across from her, still and silent, his head turned away from her. Those pine-green eyes lingered on the road outside as she drove and drove, taking occasional turns down numerous streets. They hadn't talked the whole ride, nor had they made eye contact, and she hated it. She hated the sound of silence, deeply. The only time that wall of silence was broken was when Nick had offered to drive, probably, once again, noticing her tired state. But she had kindly refused, saying that she was fine. Nick's only response was a nod. And the silence went on.

Judy couldn't stop thinking about what Nick had said back in the _Old Navy_. Every word… Every single, passionate word had been true. And when he had confessed his real, actual, feelings to her, when she had heard the sorrow and the agony in his voice, when he had told her she'd been worth all the pain and suffering he'd went through, she had wanted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. Kiss him and kiss him and kiss him, until their lungs screamed for air—and then kiss him again. To have this selfless, beautiful fox standing by her side, willing to throw himself in the deepest pits of hell just to save her, to make her happy… She didn't feel worthy of him.

She just wanted to lock her lips with his, and let this rutting world around her—around them—vanish into nothing.

But something, something had stopped her from fulfilling that desire. Maybe it was fear, maybe it was guilt, but it was something. Like a mental shield was blocking her from joining her heart with Nick's, creating an eternal bond with him that would last, even after death.

Mating was the desire that burned within her core, she realized. Mating with Nick, sealing them together as one of the same.

She didn't want to make love to him. _Mating…_

The word itself sounded powerful, permanent, and could create such a big, big leap in their relationship. The thought had her closing her legs, hiding her lust.

Her violet eyes slid over to Nick, staring at him, admiring him. Admiring the leanness of his body, the richness of his auburn fur—and the heart-warming softness of it...

The desire she held for him lashed out, tearing down that wall of control she'd built around her instincts—her mating instincts.

 _I want him inside me_ , she thought—she thought. She wondered how it would feel to have him spread her open with his large bulge, and slowly thrust in and out—

Judy blinked, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. She centered her attention on the road, pushing her blazing lust deep, deep within herself.

Had that been what she really felt for Nick, or were those her horny bunny instincts? Whichever one, she needed to soothe it, before it was noticed.

So Judy shifted in her seat, taking in a breath, and then exhaled.

In the reflection of the window that Nick stared out of, Judy could've sworn she saw his nose twitch.

* * *

"How long until we reach the Palm Hotel, Carrots," Nick asked, his head slightly turn toward her.

Her violet eyes stayed locked on the road ahead. "Just a few more minutes, the parking lot may be filled with security though." She'd added that last part on purpose.

She glanced at him, searching for a reaction, waiting for him to give her a worried or concern or determined look. But… Nothing. Nothing at all—an empty, dry well stranded in the middle of a blazing desert.

Her dull, gray claws bit into the leathery texture of the steering wheel. _Play with me. Tease me. Call me cute or poke my nose. Do something! Just don't_ _abandon me to this void of silence._ She wanted to say those chain of words badly, scream it to his face. But…

Even his expression was blank and cold as he nodded. His only reply.

Judy's lips thinned, and her violet eyes left the road for a single second.

"Why have you been so silent lately?" The words had slipped out before she could stop them.

He rested his head back on the headrest, pine-green eyes lingering on the dark, empty road illuminated by dim street-lights lined on each side of the street. Then said, "I'm just thinking."

"About what," she pushed.

She could've sworn she saw a flash of pearl white teeth in the dim light. "Getting into the hotel safely, that's all."

With his dead silence and expressionless gaze… "You're lying."

His head snapped in her direction, a glimmer of emotion flashed within those eyes. "I'm not lying," he protested.

"You aren't?" She shot him a look. "Then why are you acting so… So dead?"

Nick sighed, annoyed. "It's nothing, Fluff—even if I were to tell you, it doesn't have any importance."

Her expression softened. "Nick, you've been as silent as a corpse for this whole car ride. Whatever you're thinking about must be important." She went on. "Besides, we're friends, aren't we? Your problems are my problems."

His sea-green eyes met her violet, and she smiled warmly, assuring him.

The foxes gaze fell down to his lap, and then, slowly, shifted back to her. "Okay," he sighed, stroking the back of his head with a dark auburn paw. "I'll tell you."

He stirred in his leathery seat, a hiss of pain slipping through his teeth. He was probably trying to cope with the pain of sitting on his fractured tail.

A shard of sympathy poked at her heart, but she listened to what Nick had to say. "I'm just worried… About your family, your parents." A scowl creeped on his muzzle, and those knife-like teeth became visible. Sometimes she wondered if he ever plunged those teeth into another mammal's flesh out of self-defense or anger—and savored the taste. "What if that bastard sheep goes after your family to break you, so you'll no longer rebel against her?"

She actually found herself dreading the possibility. What if he was right? _Maybe—perhaps Bellwether could do such a thing, but…_ "I doubt she would, or could, target my family."

Nick gave her a look.

So Judy explained, "My Mom and Dad hold one of the biggest farming businesses in Zootopia. Trust me, if anything happened to them, word would spread like wildfire, and it would only be a matter of time before mammals start suspecting Bellwether. And she knows that." She made a turn down a different street, lined up with parked cars and traffic-lights and stores.

Her violet eyes lingered on him for a moment. "And I think it's really sweet that you'd care for me and my family, Nick. But, with the predator discrimination worsening, shouldn't you be thinking about your own pare—"

"My parents are dead." Something icy and filled with hatred coated his tone.

Judy's ears fell flat against her head. "Nick, I didn't—"

"No it's okay," he said, blinking again and again, his lips trembling. "You didn't know. I can't blame you for it." The grumbling of the car engine was the only sound that danced between them.

And then, when Judy thought he was done talking, "I know what it feels like to lose a loved one, I know what it feels like to have that rage, the restless grudge that has you clawing the sheets of your bed at the darkest hours of the night… I know what it feels like to be alone." His sea-green eyes slowly, so slowly shifted to her, lingering. "And I don't want you to feel that same pain."

Judy didn't say anything… No… She couldn't say anything. She had felt the pain of guilt and agony and shame, but she had never felt loss, not like Nick had. His parents, both of them, were dead. And based on the glossiness of his eyes, and the quivery frown on his lips, tragedy had struck his heart deep, leaving an eternal, gaping wound in his spirit.

There was silence between them, such painful, lingering silence. Silence that let the agony of her friend's word seep into her sobbing, broken heart.

Her eyes burned, her vision turning blurry. If she were to ever lose her parents, her family…

"When my Mom and Dad first got married," Nick began, his voice filled with dread, "they never planned to have any children, both of them despised the responsibility of having one." A pause. "They had lived so happily together, just the two of them, rich or poor, it didn't matter. And the endless photos they had taken, each one more passionate and intimate than the last… They were truly in love."

"But one day, that one, rutting day, it all ended."

Judy's paw tightened around the steering wheel, and her nose twitched.

"They both had jobs, and both would bring money into the home. My Dad would go out every day and work as an engineer, while my Mom stood home and wrote books and books about mystical lands and magic and adventure. My Mom… My Mom was rapped, Judy, and her eye, her beautiful, midnight eye, was ripped from its socket." Nick sobbed— _sobbed_. "It broke her." His voice cracked. "And it enraged my… My father. So much so that he went after the bastard who'd done it, but he never came back—and his body was never found. And after my father's death, my Mom was deemed pregnant. She didn't have the stomach to do an abortion—she didn't want to kill her baby, despite it not having one gene from its dead father."

Judy wasn't sure if she was breathing.

"My Mom had tried to raise me as best as she could, even though I resembled that bastard so, so much—even if the mere sight of me had fear and agony flash in her mid-night eye. It had always been fear; not one ounce in my entire life had she given me a true smile—it was as if deep down inside her heart, her soul, her mind, she wanted to kill me."

She had never realized—she never could've realized, never could've guessed...

"And maybe that was the case. Maybe she had wanted to kill me, but couldn't bring herself to, because when I was fifteen years old, I found her lying on the living-room floor in a pool of her own blood, dead. She'd put a knife through her own throat—she… she committed suicide and left me behind." Nick placed his forearm on the dashboard, his head hanging low. "I was so alone, and I had nowhere to go, nobody to trust or love."

Sometimes she'd wondered who was more miserable, who hated living more, who questioned their own existence—and the existence of this damned world.

And from the corner of her 180° vision, she saw Nick gaze down at his paws, his trembling paws. "I'm the reason why my Mother put a knife through her throat, I'm the reason why her life was so miserable." His lips quivered once again as he choked on a sob, a tear running down his cheek. "I resemble a monster who violated and destroyed my Mom, who tore my parent's love apart." He stared and stared at his paws, as if he could see the blood, the DNA of his mother's rapist surging through his veins. Then, the next second, his sharp, deadly claws were gleaming in the dim, orange light of the street-lights. "I'm just a mistake," he mused, staring out to the street ahead.

She'd treated him so horribly. She broke him and abandoned him, leaving him alone. Alone—like he'd been most of his life, wearing a mask to hide his tragic past clawing at his soul.

"I'm just a mistake." He repeated, his voice cracking. "I'm just a mistake."

Judy couldn't say anything, she didn't want to say anything. She wanted to show him that there was someone out there in that miserable world that still loved him, that there was someone who would truly smile at the sight of him, no matter who he resembled. She wanted to show him that he wasn't alone, she wanted him to feel it, the passion, the joy, and the love. _There are times when touch has more effect than words_ , her mother had once said to her, when she, herself, was knelt over, sobbing into her knees, because Gideon Grey had gotten a whole group of mammals to tease her and abuse for her ridiculous dream: to become a cop. But it still paled in comparison as to what Nick had to go through as a kid—as a fox.

Nick… she loved him so much, and yet, not once had she ever thought about her and Nick being a family, with their kids standing between them, strengthening their love. But after hearing his story of love and anger and agony and death, maybe showing her love for him… maybe having a family with him, would heal the gaping wound in his chest.

She managed a few seconds of lucidity to turn the minivan down a different road, Main Street.

Judy's gaze traveled to Nick, who stared out to the road ahead, claws still unsheathed.

She opened her mouth to say something, to do something, but she was cut off.

Dazzling lights mixed in the colors of blue and red danced in their vision.

* * *

Judy slowly drove up to the line of police cars and policemen flanked by the archway entrance to the Palm Hotel's parking lot, armed to the teeth. Her eyes squinted at the blinding lights of the police cars, but she could still make out the dread-stricken expression of the policemen, standing a healthy distance from their vehicles.

She didn't recognized any of them. They must be from the Sahara Police station, she guessed. But still… each one of them were prey.

A grunt of pain from the back of the mini-van had Judy's erect ear twitching. She titled her head in Nick's direction slightly. "Nick," she called, careful with the volume of her voice, although she didn't know why. "You okay?"

She heard shuffle from the back of the car, and then, "I'm fine." Hoarse—his voice sounded so hoarse, it made her heart ache. Another grunt of pain. "I'm fine," he repeated, "it's just..." She knew what he meant. His fractured and, maybe, broken tail—broken like his heart… Like his family.

"It'll be quick, Nick, I promise." She said

Silence was his only reply.

She frowned, driving closer to the chain of police cars. It was a mercy that there hadn't been a lengthy line of cars in front of them, and it made sense, too. Most of the prey in Zootopia were probably huddling within their houses, scared shitless of the riot raging down in City Central. She hoped the riot had simmered down by now, she hoped some prey doctors had survived the massacre. An image of Bellwether flashed within her mind, and she clenched her teeth. And she hoped that sheep had been mangled, along with her damned rhino.

A rhino officer stationed in front of the archway held up a giant hoof, his belt armed with a pistol. Judy slowed the car to a stop, calming the wind of emotion swirling inside her.

Soul-breaking—it was soul-breaking to think of Nick's past, his family; his life. And to think about what she, herself, had put him through… Judy took in a quivering breath, squaring her shoulders. _Don't think about now, Judy_ , those voices whispered, caring, loving. The pain of her broken heart numbed, only slightly, enough for her not to break down and shatter a window or scream until her throat went raw. She kept herself strong.

The rhino was already standing beside the mini-van as she pulled down the window. And as soon as the rhino's golden eyes met hers, she saw skepticism in his expression.

"Officer Hopps?" The rhino said with a cocked head and a raised brow. "I thought you were still in the ho—" He stopped mid-sentence, and his eyes left hers for a moment.

He must've heard about what happened at the hospital. _The news of the riot must've spread quickly, then_. This could go bad—the rhino asking to search through the car being one of the worst possibilities.

Judy said, "The doctors let me out before it started." It was the half truth. She was supposed to leave around 1:00, an hour before the hospital was bombed.

The rhino looked up at her. "Then, why did you come to the Palm Hotel, alone." There was suspicion in his yellow eyes.

Willpower had her expression remain neutral. "Chief Bogo sent me here," she clarified, "he said it wouldn't be safe for me to stay in City Central, and I didn't want to return to my home, which is outside of Zootopia, so…"

"I see." The rhino said, giving her a hard stare. He was hesitating, confused as what to do.

Judy's sensitive, erected ears twitched at the grunt that came from the trunk of the minivan—Nick… His tail. She prayed— _prayed_ —that the rhino hadn't heard it.

The rhino looked back at his fellow officers, all of whom had their statures' perked, listening in. At the rhino's look, they shrugged or shook their heads, all of them just as confused as he was.

The rhino looked back to Judy. "Have a goodnight's rest, Miss Hopps," he said, gesturing a paw for her to go.

She nodded, giving the rhino a grateful smile, and slowly drove the car forward.

* * *

Judy slowly pulled the van into an parking space located far from the canopy, golden-lit entrance of the Palm Hotel. The parking lot was mostly empty, with a few expensive cars parked far distances apart, probably all owned by prey. No surprise.

She put the car into park with a jerk of the gear-shift, and the vehicle lurched slightly, the engine falling into a deep sleep. Judy turned her head toward the back of the car, where Nick still hid, silent as a ghost. But before she could inform him that it was clear, he was already climbing into the passenger seat, pressing his fractured tail against his back as he sat down. A hiss a pain slipped through his black, slim lips, his sharp teeth clenched and shimmering in the soft, golden light pouring in through the back window of the van.

There were tears stains on the auburn fur of his cheek, more than there had been after he'd told his story of agony and loss. And his eyes, those eyes that would always gleam with mischief and joy, were bloodshot—and strained. It made something within her chest crack and scream.

Her ears twitched in his direction as he spoke. "We don't have to get a room, you know," he said blandly. Those eyes flicked in her direction, lingering. She knew what he meant, the droopiness and the redness of her own eyes, the sluggishness of her movement… he wasn't blind to any of it.

Judy looked at his fractured tail, which was pressed against his spine, golden light creepy through the long, soft strands of fur enveloping his tail.

He wasn't suggesting sleeping in the minivan out of his own tiredness, she realized, it was for her. He was willing to sleep on his broken tail for her. So she could rest.

Judy's lips thinned.

"It's okay, Nick," she assured, meeting his empty gaze, holding back the tears clawing at her eyes. "I'll be fine—let's just get this over with, okay?" The dark space within the van was illuminated by a car passing by. Nick's pine-green eyes glinted in the light, reflecting sorrow within them. Her nose twitched—only once, though. "Besides, there's a chance security might not be as tight as we expected it to be, since there aren't many mammals staying here, which means you should be able to sneak through the Palm Hotel easily, am I right, my sly fox?"

Nick didn't smile. "Perhaps."

She forced herself to continue smiling, to stay optimistic in hopes that the wound within his heart would heal. "Okay, then." She grabbed the door handle. "I'll go and buy our room." She opened the car door with a pull of the handle, and her violet eyes flicked back to him. "You're coming with me."

His ears perked up at that. "I thought you said I'd be sneaking in through the janitor's room?"

There was a hint of emotion in his tone, it wasn't happiness, but… at least it was something.

Judy answered, "change of plans, then." Nick cocked his head at her. "There aren't too many cars here right? And since there are police cars practically surrounding this place, security shouldn't be too tight on the inside."

His eyebrows arched as he contemplated on her theory. He looked to the canopy entrance of the casino, through the spinning glass doors and into the building. Judy followed his gaze.

Inside, there were only few mammals scattered around on the red marble floor. But Judy took note of the security guard, leaning on the golden-tiled wall, flanked by two elevators. A tiger-security guard, to her surprise. She glanced back at Nick, who's eyes had widened slightly. Seems he had found it just as perplexing as she had.

"We should be able to pass through into the elevators without any trouble." She remarked, breaking Nick's lingering stare.

"That's if that tiger guard doesn't use his pistol on me first," he said, gesturing his head toward the security guard's belt.

She looked into the casino, her violet eyes immediately falling on the pistol holstered on the guard's belt, and her face scrunched into a barely-noticeable grimace. Damn it. After what happened at the hospital—and, what hopefully has ended by now—that security guard might put a bullet through Nick's head first. The thought of Nick dying had a shard of fear slicing at her heart. She calmed herself.

 _I'm just a mistake_. She banished the thought before it seeped too deep into her.

"That guard's a predator, he could possibly let you through. Like you said before, ' from one predator to another'", Judy suggested.

Nick shook his head. "Very few predators have jobs right now, Carrots." He stated. "That tiger could lose his if he were to let me through, so the possibilities of me getting into that elevator is almost slim to none." It was a fact, not an opinion.

Judy lips curled into a frustrated frown. She was tired, so unbearably tired… But she wasn't going to let him feel anymore pain, not after what he'd told her in the subway and the car ride, not after the physical agony he'd suffered in the hospital. So she made up a plan silently in her head.

She stared and stared down at her paws, at the soft, black fabric of her zipper-top's sleeves running along her forearm.

Her head slowly turned toward Nick, who's eyes stayed focused on the casino entrance.

Judy said, doubtfully, "I've got a plan Nick, although it may be too simple to work."

He turned towards her, his ear sharp, listening. He didn't say a word. So she explained.

* * *

Nick lightly pushed on the spinning door entrance leading into the casino, Judy pushing with him, both their paws on the crystal clear glass.

And as soon as Nick stepped one paw onto the red marble floor, he gawked.

Red and golden marble shimmered in his vision, and the bar to the far left of the lobby had his throat going dry.

The oak-wood shelves, filled with hand-crafted cups and beers and drinks with name-brands he'd never thought existed, had him wondering how much could he drink before he passed out. And the leather chairs set right in front of the bar, each one looking as if they were bought right off the stage, and were gleaming in the beautiful light illuminating the hotel.

And the lobby, the lobby they walked through, rose-red furniture and glass-filled tables and foreign lamps scattered throughout the open area in almost perfect neatness, everything set in the right place, it had Nick's eyes wide. And for the first time in hours, he smiled; he could feel the excitement and the happiness shouting within him.

He peeked at Judy, walking beside him, from the corner of his vision, and he felt something within his chest purr at the sight of her cheery smile.

She was smiling, because of his smile. Sometimes he felt he didn't deserve her, for everything she'd done for him, everything she'd sacrificed for him…

But Nick's smile faltered when his attention turned to the tiger-security guard, still leaning on the wall, and his hazel eyes locked on him, watching his every movement, glaring, contemplating.

He swallowed a lump in his throat as him and Judy neared the oak-wood desk, worked by an female gazelle.

And even with the soft brown fur coating the gazelles skin, he could still see the paleness of the prey's face as him and Judy neared.

He reminded himself of Judy's plan, her voice a whisper in the front of his mind. Just stay quiet, and let me do the talking, she had said. Then added, if they see a predator with me, as a friend, they may let you through, hopefully.

They grew closer and closer to the oak-wood desk, and Nick calmed himself, letting his paws hang limp at his sides, dropping his smile and drained his pine-green eyes of any emotion.

Judy put her paws on the desk, standing on her tippy-toes to make eye contact with the gazelle, who's blue eyes remained locked on Nick.

Nick stared back at the gazelle with dead eyes, who's pupils shrank upon making eye contact with him. Nick ignored the fear swirling within the gazelles cold, blue eyes and let his gaze drift down to Judy, who gave him a quick look, filled with concern. _Don't worry—I've got this_ , her expression seemed to say.

He gave her a barely-noticeable nod, then redirected his gaze back to the gazelle.

The gazelle said, a slight quivering in her voice, "good evening, Officer Hopps." Those blue eyes once again snapped to him, then to the security who had hoisted himself off the wall, and back down to Judy. "What may I do for you tonight?" Her hooves were nowhere in sight on the desk, Nick noticed. Instead, they were placed near her waist, probably clutching a concealed weapon.

Nick tensed, but his expression and body remained neutral, unreadable.

Judy, who was still hoisting her head over the desk by her paws and tippy-toes, gave the fear-stricken gazelle an innocent smile that always seemed to brighten the mood—especially his. "Yes, there is, ma'am." She said. "Could I purchase a room near the top floor."

His predatory eyes, build to hunt and see clearly in the darkest hours of the night, caught the Gazelle's throat bobbing, her eyes darting from him to Judy, confused. "S-separate rooms?" She asked, turning to an apple computer to the right of her on the desk.

He looked down at Judy, who's expression remained pleasant, even at the gazelle's question.

"No, ma'am, just one room, please." She said, and her violet eyes flicked down to the gazelle's waist, searching, he realized. Seems she had caught the concealed weapon, too. Smart bunny.

At Judy's response, the gazelle had turned into a quivering mess, her eyes constantly darting and her throat flexing, and it only worsened the longer her eyes lingered on him.

Nick, honestly, wondered if the gazelle was wetting herself or no.

"Y-you sure you don't want a separate rooms, Miss Hopps?"

He expected her to scowl at the gazelle, to say something harsh and cruel, but… "I'm sure, ma'am, just one." Sweet—Judy's voice sounded so sweet and innocent, it made his skin crawl with ecstasy—and lust. _Sly bunny._

The gazelle nodded, her throat, once again, bobbing, once—twice; her trembling hoofs danced across the keyboard as she typed information into the computer.

Nick almost clicked his tongue at the fear, the shakiness the gazelles didn't even try to hide. _All these prey_ … He was surprised that the security guard stalking toward them hadn't shot him dead—yet.

Seconds passed, and the gazelle turned her attention back down to Judy, her hooves staying a healthy distance from her waist.

She then lightly slapped a key-card on the black marble desktop, smiling while saying, "your room is on the 50th floor, Miss Hopps." Fake—the gazelle's smile was so rutting fake. "Thank you." She added.

Judy took the key card in her paws, slipping it into her jean pocket. "Oh no, Thank you," she said, grateful, that loving smile still plastered on her beautiful face.

He had to push back the urge to run his paw down her soft, silky-like ears. Instead, Nick spun on his heels and walked toward the elevator, keeping his line of vision away from the tiger security guard's glaring eyes, who had his orange and black striped paws near his belt.

Nick silently scoffed, ambling with his auburn paws tucked in the pockets of his hoodie.

Suddenly, "before you leave, Miss Hopps," Nick's ears perked up, and he looked back at the gazelle through the corner of his eye, "I have to inform that there has been a new rule added to this hotel."

Judy had just started trailing behind Nick when she turned back to the gazelle.

And She gasped. And Nick's pupils shrank to grains of sand, his legs going numb beneath.

Hanging from gazelle's hoof, was a metal collar, equipped with a small box, glowing with a green light.

 _A tame collar_. The word clang through him like a reverberation, each echo more haunting than the last.

Only prisoners, prey or predator, were authorized to wear those. And Nick was so deeply terrified of them, the tame collars. The very device had haunted him as a kid, countless times, gave him nightmares.

Caging emotions—that was what those collars were made for. Too much happiness, too much rage, too much of anything, and he would fall down to the floor with electricity surging through his veins. It scared him, it scared him so, so deeply.

Nick stared and stared at the device, the damn device.

The gazelle's voice echoed through the lobby as if they were in a cave—a prison cell. "All predators that stay in this hotel must were a tame collar. That's what the rules state, I'm afraid." He saw Judy's paws hang limp at her sides and her shoulders go rigid.

A small part of him was glad that Judy had her back to him. He could only imagine what her expression had shifted into, what emotion roared within those violet eyes.

He suddenly felt his heart raging against his chest, and he could've sworn that he saw a grin crack on the gazelle's lips. For only a second, then vanish.

The gazelle then said, "I'm going to need you to put this on his neck, Miss Hopps, if you don't mind." Punishment—this was like a punishment, for what he'd done to her. A punishment for what she'd done to this city, to the predators living within it.

"Yeah, no problem." She said, her tone cleaned of any agony, as if she didn't feel the pain he felt—sorrow and shame and guilt.

The terror within him began to manifest as Judy sauntered to the desk, taking the tame collar in her paws.

Nick's breathing became ragged, as if he had screamed until his vocal cords had snapped.

His pine-green eyes met the gazelle's cold blue, and he froze. The look she gave him, filled with malice and hatred… _now it's your turn to experience fear,_ _predator._ The words floated so smoothly into his mind, as if for that single second, he had read the gazelle's every, scornful thought.

There was a flash of violet in his line of vision, and he saw Judy's face, her agony-stricken face, as she slowly walked toward him, the tame collar grasped in her paws.

He almost took a step back, almost unsheathed his claws—

He reminded himself that Judy was his friend; he reminded himself why he was doing this. Those ancient whispers within him roared and lashed at his mind, but he remained still—so, very still.

Suddenly, for a second, he wasn't in the hotel, but in the ranger scouts building; suddenly he felt tears flowing down his cheeks, staining his fur; suddenly he felt paws pin him to the stone floor; suddenly a muzzle was placed on his snout, locked into place. There was laughter and mocking and more and more tears—tears that refused to stop flowing. Suddenly he felt his heartbreak and his dreams shatter; suddenly he felt something warm and smooth on his paw, and he glanced down, only to see that his claws were covered in blood—

Judy stood in front of him, the collar still in her paws. And those eyes… Those beautiful eyes…

"We don't have to stay here," her voice was barely a whisper—so broken, so hurt. "We can go."

They could leave, find somewhere else to stay, but… The redness of her eyes, the black lines so visible under them, beneath her gray fur… She needed to rest, more than him.

So Nick got on one knee, and lifted his chin, exposing his bruised neck. A silent answer.

He shivered as the coldness of the metal met his fur, and the bare skin beneath. He reminded himself, over and over and over, that this was temporary, that in doing this, he was helping her. But as Judy's arms, along with the collar, enveloped his neck, as the cold, unyielding metal pressed harder and harder into his fur, he felt emotions of so many kinds roar inside him, almost overwhelming him. It was torture.

The next moment, the collar was locked onto his neck, and the clicking sound that came with it, echoing through the immense lobby, would haunt his dream for eternity.

The tiger-security guard let them through and into the elevator without a second glance.

And during the whole elevator ride to the top floor, Nick couldn't find the words to assure Judy, to let her know that he was okay, that he could cope—even though he knew that he was on the verge of breaking down, and giving up.

They were both silent, as if the collar on his neck had numbed their tongues.

* * *

Nick pulled at the collar fastened on his neck as him and Judy stalked down the hallway lined with oak-wood doors on both sides. The hallway was no different from the lobby, no surprise, red and gold sketched into diamonds on the soft, cold carpet-flooring. And the marble walls, stained in a soft color of red, gleamed in the gentle lights shimmering from the roof.

"120, 121, 122, 123." He listened to Judy as she counted every door they passed, to at least distract his mind from the nagging feeling of the collar brushing against his fur.

And maybe she was whispering out the numbers intentionally, to divert her mind from what she'd seen, what she'd done, just a few minutes back.

He'd heard her sob once on the elevator, sobs then go noiseless. And he ignored it, and he hated himself for doing it—shunning her. But with own emotions running rapid and wailing at his mind… he really didn't know how he could comfort her. It angered and saddened him, but he let the thought drown in the back of his mind.

"We're here, Nick," Judy said, pointing toward an oak-wood door with a golden plate nailed to it, with black numbers imprinted on it that read 130.

His gaze flicked to the door, his ears sharp, scanning it.

With one swipe of the key-card and a turn of the golden-coated knob, Judy opened the door with a click and a creek. He flicked on the light and ambled into the room.

Nick's mouth went agape at the chocolate wooden floors tiled in a perfect pattern, so polished and cleaned that he could see every movement of his reflection.

He made his way deeper and deeper into the room, his eyes feasting upon the moon-white bed and the nightstands flanking it with a twin set of lanterns, handcrafted with beautiful designs.

His gaze turned to the white door, which lead into the bathroom. It only took one turn of his paw on the golden knob before the door slowly opened with ghostly silence.

A clawed-toed bath tub, white marble tiled floors stained with little flecks of a soft hue of brown, and twin sinks with a marble counter just as white as the floor… The bathroom itself was as if it were made for a king—a God. The entire room was a representation of beauty.

Nick turned back to the room, to the prepossessing room so carefully crafted. Judy came beside him, those beautiful eyes darting from one form of beauty to the next. "Wow." She gasped. "I always knew the Palm Hotel would alluring from the inside, but this…" It was a blessing from God Himself that they had so much cash in their pockets.

And then he felt the coolness of metal. And the tightness of it around his neck, and he was reminded of what had happened, what he was, in the eyes of prey. The room seemed to turn dull and gray the longer he stared and stared at it, the longer he felt cold metal on his fur.

He no longer esteemed the room.

He ran his fingers across the collar, shuddering as he did, and something inside him cracked and screamed and begged to be set free. His claws suddenly felt sharp on his fingertips, and he clenched his jaw.

He let the thoughts of himself, of this city, of the citizens, of her, fade into dust and fall and fall and fall, until his entire being felt empty, until he felt alone…

Nick suddenly found himself strolling toward the floor-to-roof window at the very back of the room. He stood in front of it, staring out into the view of Sahara Square, staring at the reflection of himself in the window, his eyes glazed.

He looked down at the tame collar in his reflection, still glowing bright green, still digging into his fur. His throat bobbed.

And Judy, once again, came beside him. She must've noticed his pained expression, because she said, "I'm sorry."

His eyes flicked to her reflection in the window; agony, sorrow, guilt, and hatred—it was all he saw in her. And it hurt to see it… it had him snapping his gaze away from her and back to the rest of Sahara Square, lit by the many speckles of light glinting from below.

But something else caught his eye, and he let his gaze travel deeper into Zootopia, into City Central… Fire and smoke and a bombed, blazing hospital.

The riot hadn't stopped, and was still raging on.

He almost clawed the glass before him out of frustration.

"Nick, I'm so sorry." His ears perked up at the sob, and he looked at Judy through the reflection, who was facing him, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." She said again.

"I'm sorry about what you had to go through, all your life, and what I'm putting you through now." So much pain—she had put him through so much pain. He waited for the anger, anger that would be directed at her because of her ignorance to the wolrd, but… There was nothing.

"Mother told me that story," he began,"… Of how I was born and my Father's fate." He remembered that day so clearly, so, so clearly, like the glass he was staring out of now—his Mother telling him how he was born with tears staining her auburn cheeks and sobs choking her throat. "I was ten back then, too young to fully understand the trueness of my parent's tragedy. But I think my Mom had told me that story, when I was that young, with a motive, because the day after, she killed herself." Something within him mauled at his heart, and set his anger free. "She left me all alone, she killed herself, not once considering how my life may turn out…" He bared his teeth, rage seeping through his veins.

Then, his eyes slid over to Judy, who stood there with immortal stillness, her eyes lingering on him. And at the mere sight of her, of her gentle expression, his anger drifted away like leaves sighing in the wind. He took in a breath, then exhaled. It's in the past now, he told himself… For the past fifteen years, he had told himself that, over and over and over every time his Mother's story lurked in his dreams and waking hours. It's in the past now.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," were his final words before he strolled away without another word. He needed to be alone… He needed to think about something—anything.

Judy swirled around, taking a few steps toward him. "Nick…" Her voice cracked, his name sounding so broken on her lips.

But Nick had already disappeared into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Minutes past, and Nick came out the bathroom with steam in his wake, wearing a black muscle shirt and blue jeans, his auburn fur glistened with droplets of water. Judy walked past him and into the bathroom, locking the bathroom door behind her without saying a word to him or herself.

* * *

 **So, I've done some research on a foxes lifespan, and it is said that a fox can live up to 10 to 13 years of age. And I've been wondering if animal lifespans' apply to the animals in the Zootopia universe. If so, how old do you think Judy is as a bunny, and Nick is as a fox. Leave a answer in the review, if you feel like it.**

 **See you in the next chapter. Peace.**


	15. Love

**Sorry for the long wait. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Dressed in her white tank top and blue jeans, Judy stepped out of the shower, her fur glistened against the tan light, which softly illuminated the room.

Her feet pattered on the polished, wooden floors as she ambled to the moon-white bed.

Her violet eyes flicked to Nick, who laid on the bed, his back turned towards her and his long, bushy and fractured tail sprawled out behind him. But even though he was resting on the bed so silently, he was in pain. Based on the tension in his shoulders and the occasional twitching of his ears, she could tell.

Her heart ached at the thought. And she hated herself when she couldn't find the words to comfort him, to assure him. Love, something in the deep crevices of her mind whispered. But she ignored it.

Judy crawled on the bed, keeping a healthy distance away from Nick. _Maybe he needs some space for now_ , she figured. Something within her roared at the thought, but she caste it aside.

She laid back on the bed, resting her head on the pillow and sighing. She gazed up at the roof, mountains and water and dancing people carved into its white surface. And from the corner of her vision, she saw Nick turn over in the bed with a grumble of pain, his pine-green eyes locked on her, gazing.

Then, slowly—so slowly—her violet eyes met his, and she felt her heart leap for joy at the sight of him… not just joy, though… something else. _Love_ , that unknown voice whispered, loud enough that she could've sworn somebody had their lips against her ears.

Judy pushed back the thought.

Nick stared at her, and she stared back. A minute past, and his eyes finally left hers, turning downward… as if he were contemplating to himself.

And just when she thought he was going to shun her again, just when she thought he would turn his back towards her, Nick extended his arms, and put her paws in his.

She tensed at the sudden, unexpected action, and her heart pounded within her chest. And the heat between her legs had her ears turning a shade of red, a deep red.

"Nick." His name slipped through her lips, soft, soundless.

He squeezed her paw softly, and Judy found herself never wanting to let him go. She wanted to draw herself closer to him, and hug him and kiss him. But she pushed back the urge. She didn't know why, but she did.

 _Love_. That same voice inside her head breathed. And her horny instincts almost possessed her mind, her body. Why did she feel like this? She'd never felt so… nervous around Nick, and yet she had joked with him and snuggled against him.

Why did the air in between them feel so… soft… and warm—loving.

"Judy," Nick said, her name sounding like a beautifully sang note on his lips, his grim-curved lips. But what he said next… "I'm sorry for what I did to you then."

There was no shock in her expression, because she knew what he meant.

Her gaze flicked down to his obsidian claws, intertwined with her paws—claws that she had once feared, claws that had once torn her belly open, claws that had torn their friendship to shreds. Nick's claws. But she wasn't afraid of him, nor his claws, nor his teeth—not anymore; never again.

Nick extended his other arm, and Judy's head tilted downward, toward her belly, as his dark auburn paws gripped the thin, white fabric of her tank top. And lifted it… Slowly, as if he dreaded what he would find underneath.

Her belly was fully exposed. And even though the scars had weeks and weeks and weeks to heal, they were still gruesome, and the fur still hadn't grown over the scar tissue.

Perhaps it never would…

Nick ran his trembling fingers over the scars, a tear sliding down his face, and his lips twisted into broken frown, filled with so, so much regret. "I'm sorry, Judy." She wondered why she didn't flinch as he stroked her scars, why she didn't push his hand away. Maybe it was because her heart, her mind, her body, accepted him… Was in love with him. Nick.

 _Mating…_

"I'm so sorry." Nick repeated, his paw falling from her belly and flat on the bed. "I'm sorry." He shouldn't have to say sorry, because after everything he had through in his lifetime… She wasn't going to let him suffer.

 _Love_. Judy grasped Nick's paw, which lied limp on the bed, and clutched it in both of hers, holding it to her chest. She stroked his palm, her eyes filled with love and care as she did.

"Nick," she said softly, still caressing his paw with her thumb. Emerald met amethyst, and suddenly, the world around them vanished, and it was only them that existed. "Why did you save me from the fire, so willingly." It had been a question she had wanted to ask ever since she found him strapped to the hospital bed, begging and screaming to be set free. "Why did you risk being burned alive, just to save my life… After all the suffering I'd put you through?!"

She didn't know why her anger sparked at that last part.

There was something in those green eyes that she couldn't decode—shock… Maybe guilt. Nick's black lips thinned, and his eyes left hers. He blinked and blinked, his sea-green orbs glossy in the tan light.

She wondered if anyone else, besides herself, had seen Nick like this… Crying, sobbing, and so deep in his own penitence. How long had it been since he'd ever revealed how he felt on the inside, so broken, and lost in the endless darkness of despair. How long had it been since he'd ever truly trust someone. Maybe deep down, he longed to have someone he could spill his feeling to, which had been locked away and silenced for so long, for solace.

"I said it before," he murmured, his voice sounding so raw and strained, as if he had been screaming. "I saved you because you are worth it—"

" _Why_ did you me save from the fire." It was a demand.

Those pine-green eyes widened. Because he knew what she wanted… a truthful answer.

There was silence between them, and Judy felt her anxiety began to slowly manifest throughout her.

…And then, "I saved you from the fire, I risked being burned to death, because you saved me."

Judy's body went rigid.

"All of my life, I had to walk around with the weight of my parent's tragedy on my back; all my life, I wore a mask to hide the agony biting at my soul. I thought I was doomed to forever hide, hide my emotions, hide the love that I always secretly wanted… To hide wanting to trust, truly trust someone."

Those glossy eyes gazed at her, really gazed at her. " _You saved me_ , Judy."

A tear slid down her cheek.

"You saved me from having to hide all of my life…" Nick sobbed, his lips trembling. "You saved me," he whimpered.

She always thought it was him who saved her… Saved her from despair and misery—so much misery.

"And… I've fallen in love with you…"

Judy's ears went erect, and her violet eyes widened as a soft gasped escaped her.

Nick took both of her paws in his, squeezing them lightly, so gentle, as if she were made of glass. "I love you, Judy."

Tears stained her eyes, and she felt the joy within her explode. And the love, the love she had held back for so long, slash open its cage and sing a tune of compassion and joy.

It were as if she were in a dream when she said, "I love you, too, Nicholas." How long had she waited to say those words, with such truth. _I love him. And he loves me._

The atmosphere between them became less tense, and Judy felt free and cheery, as if she could take on the world, as long as he was by her side.

Nick cupped her cheek in his paw, taking in her violet orbs. He stroked her cheek once, twice. "You're so beautiful." It was a whisper, like a ghost moaning in the wind. But her sensitive ears caught it, and her heart rate sped.

Nick's muzzle inched closer to hers. "You're so perfect." Closer—he grew closer… His warmth, the smell of him, it all grew closer.

"And I could never fall in love with anyone else."

Her heart melted at the sincerity of his words.

The love within her soul and the lust wailing at her mind had her muzzle nearing Nick's, so slowly, nervous. And then, there lips met. The world around them exploded, the pain and guilt clinging to her soul screamed, burned, and died.

Nick's strong arms embraced her as she devoured him, took in the taste of him with her tongue, so small compared to his.

She didn't dare open her eyes as her paws ravaged his broad chest and crept under his shirt, stroking his soft, warm coat beneath. Lower— _God damn_ , she wanted to go lower. _Mating…_

Judy moaned as Nick's tongue, so firm and tasty, yet soft and welcoming, slid through her teeth, and licked every inch of her mouth, leaving the taste of blueberries and honey in his wake.

Their lungs suddenly screamed for air, pounding at their rib-cages, and their lips departed, leaving a bridge of saliva between them.

Judy was breathless as she stared at Nick, the full force of what she'd just done hitting her like a brick to the head. And she found herself wanting him, wanting his lips and the taste of blueberries.

Nick must've realized what he wanted, too, because in just seconds, he pinned her to the bed by her paws, his lustful gaze making the spot between her legs heat up. And when he gave her that cocky grin that she loved, that made most mammals want to punch him square in the face, those ancient instincts within her roared, and she nearly struggled against his grip—but his tail, his fractured tail. She managed a few moments of lucidity to make a mental note to be careful with Nick's tail, even if she wanted snuggle into it.

His grin widened when he saw the rage and want in her violet eyes. "I knew you couldn't resist this fox, my horny bunny." Never before had she hated his teasing so deeply—but she loved it, loved that the agony, which had lingered in those green orbs for so many hours, was nowhere to be found. "Should I make you beg for it?" Oh, he was a bastard for that.

"Please." The word came out before she could stop, but she didn't care. She wanted him… She needed him. "Please. Please."

With a cocky smile and mischief gleaming in his pine-green eyes, he answered her desperate plea, and took her in his arms, pressing every inch of her body against his.

Judy's arms were locked around Nick's neck as she kissed him and kissed him and kissed him, and she would moaned at the feeling of his tongue massaging hers. And then Nick's lips left hers, and slid down to her neck.

Judy squirmed in his grip as Nick licked and kissed her bare neck, taking in her addictive scent.

A shiver crawled down her spine as Nick ran his broad, auburn paw down her slim back, and squeezed her cotton tail. Judy arched her back into him, rubbing her torso against his.

"You like that?" He mumbled into her neck as he toyed with her tail, one of her most sensitive parts.

"Y-yes," she gasped out, her paws still beneath his shirt, clutching his soft fur.

Nick's finger ran up and down the flat, white surface of her tail, and Judy moaned loudly, her toes curling in.

 _More_ —she wanted _more_ of him. And she didn't care about the tame collar on his neck which glowed yellow; she didn't care that he was a predator; she didn't care that they were different species and natural enemies. This was Nick, her Nick.

She went on moaning and moaning as Nick played with her tail, so sensitive to his touch, until his lips gently pressed against hers. And she moaned into his throat.

She thrust her hips into his the best way she could, and she felt his long, angry length beneath his dark blue jeans. He growled into the kiss, and she rewarded him by running her paws through his fuzzy coat. She couldn't get enough of him.

His paws explored every inch of her body, and he'd touch her lower and lower, and her moans would become more passionate and true.

She wanted more—she wanted him inside of her.

Nick's patted fingers gracefully traveled down her torso, and slid into her jeans, into her panties—so close to her flower—and then stopped.

She nearly bellowed at him when a grin stretched on his handsome face.

"Not tonight," he whispered into her left erect ear, his teeth lightly nibbling on the edges.

Chills ran up and down her spine, and her ears twitched uncontrollably. "Please." She begged. "Please don't stop."

His fingers slid deeper into her pants, and stroked her lips, only once. A cruel, and clever, taunt. "Not here," his voice was susurrus against her ear, "it wouldn't be right to do it now."

She hated every word of the sentence, but he was right. Too big—it is would be too big of jump if they did it now, and with what they were dealing with now; Bellwether; Chief Bogo; the predators.

She cast the thoughts aside before they became too overwhelming.

He wrapped a single arm around her waist, holding her close with such care. "Sleep now, Judy." He might as well have been telling her to breath under water.

And wasn't until then that Judy noticed the white remote in Nick's paw. Where did he get it from, she didn't care—probably from the nightstand on his side of the bed.

His auburn finger, so broad and beautiful with the dark shaded fur enveloping it, pressed one of the many bottoms on the controller. And the room plunged into darkness, the only light source being the full-moon shining so brightly in the star-coated sky.

"Sleep now." Nick breathed once more. And despite the lust surging through her veins, sleep claimed her easily. She only heard Nick whisper "I love you" before her conscious mind vanished and she fell into a void of sleep.

* * *

That night, with Nick so closely tucked into her, Judy had never slept so peacefully, and her dreams, which—for so many weeks—had been infected with nightmares of screaming and blood and gunfire, were filled with joy, love, compassion, and creation—a family. A family she one day hoped to share with Nick.

* * *

As they slept in one another's warmth, the door to their room cracked open slowly, and a shadowy fingered lurked toward their bed.

Doug the ram pulled his Night Howler gun from his concealed pocket, and stuck the barrel to Nick's neck. Silence echoed through the room as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

 **Tell me what you think in the review.**

 **The next chapter will be way longer though, I promise. Also, tell me what you think of the romance scene. Did any of you get turned on? ;)**


	16. Going on with the Plan Anyway

**Sorry for leaving you guys with a cliff-hanger for so long.** **Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _6:15 am; Palm Hotel_

* * *

Rumbling growls of thunder had Judy cracking her eyes open.

She blinked against the blurriness clouding her vision, shifting in the bed slightly.

She sat up slightly in the bed, violet eyes scanning her surroundings. The sky was enveloped in thick, gray clouds, rain water pouring down onto the city of Sahara Square, washing away the dust and sand littering the streets, murmuring as each droplet tapped the ground in a constant, but slow pace.

Sitting back in the bed with a peaceful sigh, she looked down to the strong, auburn arms strapped softly around her waist, holding her close. She placed a paw on those arm, stroking them, taking in the softness of the auburn fur, the strength in it.

It was hard to believe what she'd done with Nick only last night, what she'd heard and felt. She never could've guessed that he felt the same love for her which she felt for him.

Thunder boomed in the distance.

 _And I've fallen in love with you._ Those words Nick had said when he was confessing how broken and low he was inside, behind that mask full of jokes and smirks, still tickled something deep within her, probably because she still couldn't believe they were true. _Nick loves me. He loves me._ His back story would still bring tears to her eyes whenever she thought of it, but she reminded herself that she loved him. He was never going to be alone again, because even if this world was destroyed by the hatred and fear between predator and prey, even if Bellwether won this secret war, she would still love him.

She felt the warmth of his broad torso on her back, and she snuggled into him, a moan slipping through her lips—

Judy's eyes widened slightly when she saw Nick's unsheathed claws, and the white bedsheets torn with lengthy claw-marks. Did he have a nightmare, or had he done that during their make-out session last night? She couldn't remember.

There was a flash of light of lightning, and a peal of thunder shortly after.

She turned over in his arm, facing him. "Nick," she called softly. The fox groaned in his sleep, the bedsheets ruffling as he torso changed position.

The sound of rain impacting ground became louder, stronger—and it made her heart race a few beats faster.

 _Get away!_ Something—no, not just something—her instincts within her wailed. _Run away—now! Run before he kills you!_ Every muscle in her body was begging her to do just that, but… This was Nick. He loved her.

Judy's violet eyes flicked down to Nick's neck. And when she saw the blue liquid staining his fur, when she realized why there were claw-marks in the bed sheets, she yelped and ripped herself from his grasp.

Tripping and stumbling off the bed and onto the wooden floor, Judy had her back pressed against the floor-to-roof window, her breathing ragged.

This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. How had Nick been darted? The windows weren't shattered, but—

Through the thin sheet of darkness and the dim, gray light lazily illuminating their room, she saw the door. The switch to the lock was in a vertical position. Someone had unlocked the door, and snuck into their room. Bellwether's spies—it couldn't have been anyone else. Shit. _Shit._

A low growl rumbled deep within Nick's throat, and those ice, white teeth flashed as he grunted.

Every strand of fur on Judy's body went rigid. He was going to kill her… Eat her alive.

The very sentence clang through her.

 _Stop panicking, Judy._ She told herself, taking in a breath. _Think. Think._

Nick's broken tail, if he came after her, she could use that to stun him temporarily. And then what? Would she turn him into the authorities so Bellwether could torture him and perhaps kill him? Would she drag him out the hotel and hide him somewhere in Zootopia—the train station, the sewers, her apartment?

The rain began to pour faster, faster, and faster, until it became torrential.

Pine-green eyes locked onto hers, scanning every inch of her body, and the tame collar on his neck turned a shade of yellow.

Thunder roared, vibrating the floors, the floor-to-roof window.

Judy's body was tense as she pressed her back harder into the glass window, those ancient instincts wailing from within her mind. She expected a savage fox to leap out the bed and charge for her, claws unsheathed and fangs out; she expected him to let out a barking roar, but…

Those sea-green eyes lingered on her. A predator studying its prey, waiting for the kill. Which was now.

Her voice was quivering. "Nick." She choked on that name, tears staining her eyes.

There was no cure for the Night Howler serum, yet, since nobody knew the stuff even existed. What would she do, then?

Kill him…? Kill Nick. Kill the mammal she'd just so recently fell in love with. The thought made her heart scream in pain. And she would've done so herself until… until…

The glare Nick gave her next had ice running through her veins, and her numb legs almost slipped from beneath her—the glass window was the only object keeping her upright.

Nick growled like an enraged lion. He rolled over in the bed, and he was on all fours, slowly stalking toward Judy. One leap from the bed, and he was on the polished, wooden floor, stalking, closer, closer, closer, closer, teeth bared and the skin above his nose arched.

" _Please._ " Judy begged, her fluffy cheeks stained with her own flowing tears. "Nick, please don't. _Please_." Her whole body was numb.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't move.

 _She couldn't move._ And if she didn't move, Nick was going to kill her— _kill her._

Judy began sobbing, her mind frozen in fear. But she wasn't fearful of Nick, no, she would never be again. She was afraid of losing him to the Night Howler serum. That she might have to kill him before he killed her. She didn't want to lose him—not again. Not again. She would be broken beyond repair, lonely, depressed—

"Nick, I'm begging you!" She pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please, stop. _Please. Please!_ " She couldn't lose him again. " _Please!_ " If he were to die… If she had to kill him out of self-defense…

Nick lunged with a bark, his obsidian claws glinting in the lightning that flashed with a sudden scream.

It was just like when the three predators had ambushed her. Time began to slow as Nick flew through the air, aiming straight for her. With her bunny-vision, she was able to catch a glass cup half-filled with water sitting on the nightstand closest to her—she was able to see it clearly.

Maybe, if she were fast enough, she could break that glass cup and use it as a weapon against him… Against Nick… But… But… She couldn't be the cause of another mammal's death. She just couldn't.

Blood, gore, screaming and death flashed within her mind. And Judy's stomach churned and groaned—

Nick fell from mid-air, his body in a spasm, the light on his tame collar red—and buzzing. He whimpered and growled, fighting against the electricity pulsing through his veins.

Judy finally regained her composure, and she raced over to Nick. But before she could even touch him, before she could even cry out his name, he stood up on all fours, his teeth clenched as he coped with his tame collar.

He lunged for her.

Changing direction at almost unnatural speed, Judy hurled herself at the night stand. But she wasn't fast enough.

Nick slammed into her muzzle-first, and Judy was knocked to her back, hitting the window with the top of her head. She groaned.

Nick was on top of her in moments, bearing his fangs.

 _Do something! Do something! Do something! Do something,_ her instincts roared, so loud she could've sworn her skull was rattling.

But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to attack him, attack just like she'd done the jaguar—before she killed him… In the rain and thunder and lightning.

Her sensitive ears caught her racing her heart, her broken heart. She was going to die.

Nick brought his muzzle closer to hers, just like he'd done last night before he devoured her in kisses, but his expression soft and loving and filled with hurt, back then.

She never got to tell him just much she loved him, adored him. She'd never get to tell him what he'd done for her by loving her. He gave her peace, solace—

Bridges of saliva stretched and clung onto the teeth of his gaping jaw. Closer—he grew closer. But those green eyes never left hers. Stayed fixed on her, as if… as if he was realizing something, as if his civilized mind was still fighting for control… like… like he was waking up.

Nick struck with his jaw like a poisonous snake biting its victim.

But months of police training, and years of self-defense classes had Judy wiping her head to the left.

Nick's snout hit solid, wooden floor full force. He cried out in pain like any savage canine would, clenching his eyes shut.

It destroyed her inside to hear him in pain, to see the blood running from his nose and dripping.

He glared at her as he growled with white teeth gleaming in the dim, gray light. Lightning flashed, casting a shadow over his features. Those green eyes glowed and the shades of darkness around his face made him look like an absolute monster.

Judy didn't bother squirming from beneath Nick's grasp. She had killed, she had destroyed this city, she had caused pain. If he were to die at her paws, which were already covered in the blood of thousands… She would deserve to die, then; every predator knew she deserved to die for a while now, and maybe some dark, empty corner within her soul agreed with them.

She bottled up her instincts, her will to live. She was ready to die, and hopefully, if he was ever saved from the Night Howlers', Nick could live on without her.

 _And then,_ a taunting, mocking voice whispered, softly, like wind running through hollow wood. _Bellwether will win the game._

Judy snapped.

Flexing her abs, she brought her legs up to face-level, and kicked Nick straight in the muzzle.

The fox, once again, yelped in pain.

Judy ignored the guilt that punched heart. She flipped up onto her two feet and jumped back, legs spread.

She wasn't going to die, she wouldn't let herself die. Thinking that Nick could live without her… That was a selfish, simple minded thought, because he couldn't—and neither could she.

She was the light of hope in his life, and he was hers. And if she had to punch him, kick him, and maybe stab him just to live, to continue to love him… He would understand, even be glad that she fought.

Judy let her body relaxed, paws at her sides. She waited for Nick's next attack, glaring at him, at the blue stain on his neck. Bellwether was going to pay for this—

Nick was flat on his belly, all four of his limbs sprawled out. He looked up at Judy—and his eyes widened. Widened, with the emotion of shock, and confusion, too.

The light on his tame collar went yellow—then green…

* * *

Judy wasn't sure if the tame collar had malfunctioned or not. But when she saw Nick stare at her with wide eyes filled with shock and confusion; when she saw him hoist himself up with his arms, still covered in scars and scabs from fighting off the honey badger, when she saw him sit back on his knees and _utter_ her name, she couldn't stop the tears and the sobs that came next.

She ran up to him with droopy ears, embracing him with such force that he almost fell back.

Tears continued to spill down her fluffy cheeks, down Nick's black muscle shirt as she sobbed into his broad chest. She could feel his gentle, yet perplexed gaze directed down toward her as she calmed herself. "I thought I lost you," she whimpered, barely a sound over the thunder and lighting and pouring rain.

But Nick must've heard her, because he slowly enveloped her in his arms, running an auburn paw down her ears.

 _Nick is still here. Nick is still here. He's still the fox I love. Bellwether had failed in taking him away from me._ But how? How had the Night Howler serum not taken over his mind, made him into a savage beast? She shut out the thought before it buried itself in her. _He's still here. And he still loves me—he always will._

Nick said, "Carrots." Her name was like a gasp coming out of his lips. "What happened?" She took in his warmth, his alluring scent. And hearing his voice, his deep smooth voice… It was like listening to a sweet melody before falling asleep.

Reluctantly, Judy released her grasp on him, and he did the same, his eyes lingering on her. She took one step back, to look him straight in his pine-green eyes, so beautiful, even in the dim, gray light.

She clutched the edges of her white tank-top with trembling paws. _You don't have to tell him. You don't have to tell him._ And even though she knew she didn't have to tell him, even though she was fearful of his reaction—that he'd blame himself, hate himself even further—… The words felt like lava burning her tongue. "You attacked me..."

Even the violent storm outside seemed to go silent.

Nick raised one of his paws, and wiped it across his snout, which was probably throbbing.

He brought his paw down to eye-level, and stared at the rose, red blood staining it.

At first, there was nothing in his expression; then there was terror, then anger—anger at himself—, then guilt. So much guilt.

Her eyes began to brim with tears once more.

Nick balled his paw into a fist and clenched it. His gaze then flicked to hers, and he looked her up and down—once, twice. He was checking her for injuries, she suddenly noticed. Injuries that he could've caused—a claw mark, a bruise, or even a broken bone. She nearly placed a paw on her belly, to feel the scars beneath. But she willed them to remain slack at her sides.

"Night Terrors," he suddenly mused, his black lips forming a grim line, his sea-green eyes avoiding, and staring out to the floor-to-roof windows, to the gray clouds moving over the sky like a marching army. "I was having night terrors, Judy…" A pause. "I'm sorry."

Night terrors. A similar incident had happened in Bunny Burrow, when a fox, trapped within a horrible nightmare, had murdered and _ate_ his wife, a gorgeous vixen that caught every males attention no matter how she looked or what she wore (she was sure Nick would probably drool at the sight of her, too—and it ignited a flame of jealousy within her). She had heard about the story through her older siblings when she was younger, and it was a gut-wrenching memory.

Despite all that, Judy stared at the blue stain on Nick's neck.

The Night Howler serum hadn't worked. _But how?_ Were certain species of predators immune to it? Possibly—but highly unlikely. Based on what she already knew about the serum, though, a prey could probably be turned into a savage animal by it as well. So… _How?_

It was Nick's voice that broke her train of thought, "Carrots, I went to sleep holding you in my arms."

Judy frowned. "What do you mean?" A question she already knew the answer to.

There was a deep growl of thunder as Nick said, "a bunny caught in a deadly trap, that's what you were. Trapped in _my_ arms, Judy." His voice suddenly became strained, as if he was seconds away from breaking down, letting all those emotions—guilt, self-loathing, and terror—enveloped him in a blanket of darkness—like he had last night. "I could've snapped your neck with my jaw; I could've ripped you to shreds with my claws, and it would've been my fault—"

He suddenly went silent and closed his eyes, taking in a breath, calming himself, his broad chest expanding beneath his black muscle shirt. Green, beautiful eyes met her violet. "How did you know?" He said, his arms slack at his side, the skin above his nose slightly arched.

There was no point in hiding this, cutting off pieces of information or lie to him completely. It would only make him feel worse, like a monster… The look in his eyes when he clawed her back at the ZPD, it flashed within her mind, a haunting image.

"Bellwether's spies, Nick—one of them had made it into are room and darted you with the Night Howler serum, right on your neck. That's how I knew."

His breathing became heavy, eyes wide and limbs trembling. He slowly raised a paw, touching at the tame collar first. He flinched, eye twitching, and then—

The Night Howler serum was dried liquid staining his neck. His auburn fingers picked at it, and blue crumbs fell to the polished, wooden floor, pattering lightly on the floor as they did.

Judy expected Nick to run to the bathroom, to look at the dried, crusty liquid in the mirror and wash it off his fur. But instead he said, "then… How did her spies track us down so easily?"

The question had her going still as death. How _did_ Bellwether's spies track them down so easily? The memory struck her mind like a sledge hammer. "It had taken me three hours, I think, to drag you to the underground subway station—"

"Plenty of time for one of Bellwether's spies to get a lead on us." Nick said, finishing her thought as he stared at the wooden floors, his jaw clenched. "Shit," those pearl white teeth which had nearly ripped her flesh flashed, but she didn't flinch—she would never be afraid of him again.

She loved him, a reassuring reminder.

Judy opened her mouth to say something—

Nick's pine-green eyes flicked to the wall, and his head followed through.

Judy copied his action—

Hanging from the wall, was a sticky note, yellow and slightly curled. The light was too dim for her to read from where she stood, but she knew exactly who it was from.

She slowly walked toward the wall, the sticky note hanging from it, and with each step, her instincts roared and bashed at her skull. _Don't look at it. Don't look at it. Don't look at it._

She peeled the sticky note from the wall with shaky paws. And Judy wondered if that was the worse decision she'd ever made.

She'd only took glances at the sticky note after removing it from the wall, but the dim lighting of the storm blurred and faded the neatly written letters on the yellow note. And she was grateful for that; because she knew without a doubt that if she looked at what was written on the note immediately… She wouldn't be able to handle it.

Nick had seen it—with his night-vision, and based on the widening of his eyes and the absolute terror manifesting on his muzzle, she knew he had read what was on the note. A note from Bellwether, and no one else.

Judy was already sitting on the edge of the bed when Nick grabbed the white remote from the nightstand, the same remote he had held while holding her and kissing her and nibbling at her ears. The ghostly feeling still had her tail twitch in excitement, and those horny bunny instincts moaned from within her, wanting more, wanting him, wanting that long length she had thrusted her hips into last night, tucked away in his jeans. But she pushed that nagging urge aside, for now, anyway.

Judy expected Nick to claim a spot next to her on the side of the bed, but he didn't. He remained standing in one place, directly in front of her, pine-green eyes flicking between her and the sticky note. And with one click of the remote, both lanterns flanking the moon-white bed illuminated the room in a tan light.

Even with the fear and anger tearing at her soul, she still had to admire the hotel room's beauty. It almost distracted her from the sticky note she held in her paw—almost.

The wooden floors and floor-to-roof window vibrated as thunder growled in the distance, a bolt of lightning flashing across the sky.

Judy prepared herself, taking in a breath before turning her attention to the note.

* * *

 **I'm making this your final, and only, warning, bunny—stay out of my way, or I'll have the flesh peeled from your bones. And that fox darted and put into a cage.**

* * *

There was no name written on it—but it was obvious who it was from. For anyone who was in _their_ position, it would be obvious.

The sticky note fell from Judy's paws, dancing in the air before lightly touching the wooden floor. She stared blankly into her paws, still trembling, ice in her vines. "The Night Howler serum…" She mused, so quietly that not even her own sensitive ears could pick up the sound, "it's fake."

Through her panic, through her rage, through her confusion, she noticed it—the smell of dried paint. She nearly slid off the side of the bed in relief, but…

A warning. What Bellwether had done, it was a warning, an act to strike fear deep into their spirits, fear of what she could've done.

Nick's night terrors, of course, wasn't what the sheep had planned for, but still, it was a violent warning. A knife to the shoulder. And it sent chills down her spine.

"She not bluffing," he said, his voice neutral, empty of emotion.

She raised her head to gazed at him—really gazed at him. He must've realized it, too. The serum staining his neck was fake, nothing but blue paint.

Judy frowned, lowering her head, staring down at the wooden floor, the sticky note slightly curled on its surface, and the neat hand writing—

Her violet eyes snapped from the note, staring off somewhere else. There was no point in analyzing the written letters, the paw-writing didn't belong to Bellwether—the sheep was too smart to do something as foolish as to write a death-threat with her own paw-writing.

Judy's voice was quiet, slightly hoarse, when she said, "I know."

There was silence between them for a few moments, the pattering of rain and the purring of thunder being the only sounds that rang through the hotel room like a gentle wave.

And then, "Judy." Whenever he said her name—her true name—it was like a song sung by Gazelle herself. But what came next… Nick went on," what did that sheep means by 'final warning', as if she'd warned you once before?"

The sudden question had her biting her pink lip. Then, the words—all of them—came out faster than she could stop them. "Bellwether, along with two of her rhinos (bodyguards), came to the hospital to 'visit me' apparently."

Icy rage began to manifest in those sea-green eyes, but Nick continued to stare at her, listening, ears perked.

Judy continued, "she came in, starting a regular conversation with me, as if she weren't the cause of predators losing their homes and riots raging up and down the streets of Zootopia." She let out a humorless laugh. "I played along with her, acting innocent, ignorant, but she must've seen through that lie, because she exposed me…" She paused, taking in a breath "Nick, she knows that we were planning together in the hospital, she knows what are plan _is_."

Nick frowned, staring at the oak-wood floors blankly. His eyes met violet orbs. "So then, going with our original plan, to meet Bogo, I mean, that's too dangerous, too risky." He clenched his fist, but a hiss slipped through his black lips when his tail twitched.

Judy's ear twitched at the hiss. She said, clasping her paws together to calm her anxiety, "it's the only choice we have; we have to take the risk." Her lips thinned, preparing for what she going to say next. Her voice was nearly a whisper, "and I have to go alone."

Pine-green eyes narrowed, his teeth weakly gleaming in the dim gray light. "No—that's not happening, Carrots. You saw what those predators did to the hospital, how many prey they killed, the amount of criminal damage they caused—it was all because _you_ were there." Nick sighed, his head lowered for a moment, then rose again, meeting her stare. "They'll kill you, Judy, they'll tear you to shreds, and take a long time doing it, too. And I… I would never forgive myself for that."

Slowly, he took his paw in hers, gently squeezing it. "I love you too much to let that happen, you're the only mammal I have left to love."

Judy blinked—once, twice, thrice—her eyes burning. It was always a cruel reminder to know that she was the only mammal he had left. But she composed herself, taking in a breath, then said, "you know why I can't let you go." Her violet eyes flicked down to his stiff tail, still bent in an awkward direction.

Nick followed her gaze, and a barely-visible-scowl formed on his muzzle. "What—my tail? Carrots, my tail is fine, I made it this far with it still being fractured."

She glared at him, standing up from the bed. Nick backed up one step to give her space. Judy said, sternly, like a mother lecturing her child, "but your injury is becoming worse. Nick, you can't even sit down next to me on the bed it's so bad—and don't think for one second that I haven't seen you flinch in pain every time it even twitches.

His ears fell back, only by an inch, though—he knew she was right. He opened his mouth to say something—

Judy raised her paw, cutting him off. "Like I said before, we don't have another choice, another option. If we went to tell ZNN, Bellwether would immediately step in—she has control of the whole city." Thunder boomed, but the rain was calming, a mere sprinkle. "There's no argument here, we have to go with the plan, no matter what it takes, no matter how dangerous Bellwether's threats are, this is our only hope."

Even after her little speech, her violet eyes remained locked on him, waiting for his reply.

Nick's lips had tightened, staring down, not at the floor, but the sticky note, reading every word of that skin-crawling threat—a true threat.

The fox sighed through his nose, his broad chest expanding. "Okay, if that's are only choice, I'll go with the plan."

She smiled grateful at him, her violet eyes brightening.

"But," she expected the word before he even opened his mouth, "you have to let me mark you."

The second after he said that, Judy's ears were as red as tomatoes. "Y-you mean... Marking me as in—oh God, she was going to pass out—m-mating with me."

Nick's eyes shot wide open, and his body became rigid—his tail moved with the action, and his tail twitched. "Oh, no, no, no—w-we foxes have other to ways to mark are mates."

Judy just nodded, her eyes still wide, and the spot between her legs began to heat up, to the point where she had to awkwardly sit back down on the bed and close her legs as unnoticeably as possible. But Nick's nose twitched, catching her scent, his auburn ears standing on end as he tried to ignore the smell of horny bunny.

It was an effort for her to even look him in the eyes as he said, albeit nervously, "foxes have glands in their cheeks which they can use to mark their mate with a scent that lets other foxes know that this female has already been claimed."

"So, what's your point in doing this," she said, slightly closing her legs further.

That horny bunny scent became stronger, and he felt himself hardening, his knot throbbing. He calmed himself. "As short as you are—Judy glared at him for that statement, and he gave her a sly grin; something to distract him from his own lust—another predator with a good sense of smell could, possibly, mistaken you for a fennec fox, hopefully."

Judy glanced out the floor-to-roof window, to the gray skies. "Perhaps that could work—it's a good day for a jacket, anyway."

"A jacket that can cover your features but leave your scent open and exposed." He added. And she nodded in agreement.

She hummed deep within her throat, and then said, "what if a fox tries to flirt with me despite the marking scent."

Nick snorted, and his black lips curved into a barely-visible frown "trust me, Carrots—any fox who even tries to flirt with a marked vixen is looking for a death wish. Even a mere cat-call can result in a claw-and-fist fight between males."

Judy smiled mockingly, "so in other words, you foxes are very territorial."

He shrugged, "if you want to put it that way, then yes. We are very territorial of are mates." That sly grin reappeared, and he brought his muzzle closer to hers, close enough to kiss her. He then went down, his black, sensitive nose grazing the white fabric of her tank top, going lower and lower—

Until he was at that area between her legs. He sniffed at it, his grin stretching wider when he caught that strong, powerful scent of horny bunny. His muzzle inched closer to that heated spot. "You know, Carrots," he began, sniffing at her again, his knot throbbing and raging to empty its sexual desire into a female, "we foxes are also known for making are mates moan are names in the bed." His tongue went watery as his muzzle moved closer to her beautiful flower, covered in a layer of jeans and panties.

Judy grasp one of his perked ears in her soft, fluffy paws, gingerly pulling him back from that intimate place.

Those green, beautiful eyes flicked up to her, and she said, "don't do that to me, Nick."

He raised a brow. "What do you mean, Fluff?"

"Don't push me over the edge like that, because…" There was shame and embarrassment dancing in those violet eyes," once I'm at that point, I can't stop."

Nick hoisted his head up, until he was, once again, at eye-level with her. "Didn't you stop yourself last night?"

She nearly scoffed. _Last night—when you slipped your paws into my pants and stroked the lips of my flower for a few moments; when you practically slit my throat open when you stopped right in the middle of it all and told me to go to bed._ There was a whisper of female-temper in her voice as she said, "no, Nick, I hadn't stopped myself last night—not in the way you think, anyway."

He must've heard the anger in her tone, must've known how his action last night had angered her, but he still had the nerve to give her a sly grin filled with mischief and lust. "I was wondering why I heard sexy moans in my sleep last night."

Her pink lips tightened, a low sound rumbling in her throat, "Yes," she said, her head lowered, avoiding his teasing gaze. "I took care of my problem… Personally." Her voice dropped down to a whisper, "and I spent the whole time contemplating on whether I should strip your pants clean off and know how it would feel to have you in me."

His lustful grin grew wider. "If you'd just woke me up, I would've striped my pants off for you and made you scream all night." He pecked her on the lips—once, twice. "My beautiful, horny bunny."

She tried to glare at him, tried to look angry, but when a grin stretched across a muzzle and she felt those mating instincts flaring, she gave up—and squeezed her legs tighter.

"Anyway," he said, changing the subject. She was glad for it to. "About the jacket, I think I know where to get one that can cover your entire appearance, and leave your scent open."

She cocked her head, the movement making her ears hang slightly to the side. "From where, exactly?"

His pine-green eyes flicked over to the night-stand on his side of the bed, where his jacket lay.

* * *

It was temptation to slap Nick right in his smug face when he slipped his jacket on her, chuckled—laughed loudly, actually—, then called her cute. But she decided against it. Kicking him between the legs had been a better punishment, in her opinion. And it had left him on his knees, winded until the time she left the hotel room—although, she regretted it when his tame collar beeped and buzzed and sent him to the floor spasm. She'd hugged him, and silently told him that she was sorry. He'd forgiven her, of course, but… the pain still lingered.

The black hoodie Nick had her wore covered her torso fully, but didn't sag to the ground, surprisingly. And the hoodie itself, including her, had Nick scent all over it. And when Nick had marked her, he'd nearly—so very daringly—pushed her to the edge. He'd stroked that spot between her legs and smothered her neck in kisses, before he kissed her passionately and rubbed both her cheeks with his.

She contemplated on going for the belt and buckle of his pants, wanting his long length. But she'd calmed herself, and the left the room with her mating instincts roaring.

It was the only the tiger security guard that gave her a strange look as she walked to the spinning-door exit of the hotel—he must be wondering why did a bunny have the scent of a foxes marking. There was nobody at the front desk, thankfully.

She could still hear the sound of her own moans as she left the hotel and hopped into the driver seat of the stolen car. She drove off, out the entrance, which thankfully didn't have any police officers posted by it this time.

And as she drove through the streets of Sahara Square with the humming of the engine and the cars smooth riding, she voiced over what she planned to say to Chief Bogo, how she was going to say it.

But every time she practiced what she would say, Bellwether's death threat echoed in her mind. If this failed… If this failed… she would die, and Nick would be muzzled and caged and tortured for the rest of his life—until he gave into death.

So she practiced throughout the car ride, practiced and practiced and practiced until every word fit perfectly, until she was sure she could convince the Chief what Bellwether was responsible for.

The Chief would believe her, because this couldn't fail. If this failed, everything she loved would be destroyed.

An image of her family flashed in her mind, then Bellwether's threat rang through the image, leaving blood and gore and death in its wake.

She closed her eyes, taking in a breath. That demon sheep wouldn't dare mess with her family, she trusted her instincts on that.

And hopefully, they were right.

* * *

 **Tell me what you think of the chapter. Good? Bad? Leave your opinion in the review. Also, I was thinking about making more love scenes between Nick and Judy. Tell me if you guys want the romance scenes to be very intimate or just have it to mere hugging and kissing and snuggling. Let me know, and I'll make changes.**

 **Chapter 17 will be here soon. See you guys, then.**


	17. Case Files

**Sorry for the long wait and the short chapter guys, I really am. I ran into a major writers block on this one.**

* * *

 _8:32 am; Palm Hotel_

Two hours. It had been two hours since Judy, the bunny he loved, had left the hotel, her ears burning from him marking her and kissing her and nearly driving her over the edge. Her moans lingered in his head like an alluring melody, making his knot throb ever so slightly.

His mind was a mess. And the fact that he couldn't stop worrying about Judy, couldn't stop thinking of new possibility of _how_ she could die, couldn't stop grimacing at the constant throbbing of his tail, made it even worse.

 _You should've went with her,_ some dark, unknown part of his mind said, mocking him. _You should've went with her._ He could've gone with her, but when she mentioned his tail to him, told him how bad the injury was becoming… It scared him and angered him. The pain from his fractured tail was driving him insane, torturing him—a constant flare of pain, over and over and over. He knew for a fact, that if he went with Judy, and something were to happen—an ambush, another riot—he would slow her down. He couldn't even run, much less walk without his tail wagging on instinct. He would definitely die if it came down to that again, running away from a fire or a mob or one of Bellwether's spies—and if he were to die, it would destroy Judy.

 _You should've went with her._ Those echoing words were like a throbbing headache, and he clenched his teeth so hard his jaw ached.

If she were to die… If she were to die because of his weakness to cope with the pain of his fractured tail—

He would be alone.

He would be all alone.

Something in his chest broke at the thought. _You should've went with her._

 _Please be safe, Judy. Please._ A silent prayer. But something told him it would go unanswered.

There was a knock at the door, barely noticeable over the thunder and rain, a light knock. The knock of a smaller mammal. _Judy._

Nick sat up from the bed with perked ears, pain shooting up his spine. But he barely noticed it as he hopped off the bed and ran toward the door—

It had to be Judy it had to be Judy it had to be Judy

But… The smell that radiated from the other side had his nose twitching fiercely. It wasn't the smell of his mark, and it wasn't the smell of bunny either that caught his nose. Another predator, another _fox_ , he realized. A fox who had probably tracked Judy by her scent, a skilled tracker. How the fox had made it past the security at the entrance without being shot down was unknown to him, but if this fox really came here with hatred in its heart, he would have to fight. Despite everything.

He turned the lock on the door with a click, and opened it slowly, cautiously.

He tucked one paw behind his back, the claws on it unsheathed and gleaming in the dim, gray light pouring in through the floor-to-roof window behind him; just in case it wasn't what he was expecting it to be.

Nick only opened the door four inches before peeking out it, taking seconds to gaze at the person at the other side.

Green eyes, exact copies of his own, gazed back at him, a friendly smile greeting him. "I knew I'd find you here with Officer Hopps the moment I got a trail on her scent," he said, his deep voice smooth and powerful.

Nick's body loosed its tenseness, and he opened the door fully, his jaw gaping, eyes wide. "Azriel—what are—"

Azriel's snow-white fur shimmered in the tan light illuminating the hallway as he said, "it's nice to see you, too, son. But—his head whipped left and right, checking his surroundings—I have something I want to tell you."

Nick only nodded, his expression still filled with confusion and shock—and maybe fear. He stepped to the side, leaving space in the door way for the arctic fox to enter through, the only gesture he could mange to give at the moment, being wordless.

Azriel only smiled as a response, and he stepped into the hotel room, his feet pattering on the wooden floors.

Nick glanced down both sides of the hallway before shutting the door, the lock clicking as he turned it into a horizontal position.

The red fox stared at the door as he sighed, letting his shoulders slouch. He turned, and looked at the old fox who had his back turned to him, scanning the beauty of the room, Nick guessed, based on the slight gaping of his jaw.

The arctic fox, obviously, wasn't wearing his fire-fighter uniform, but instead a simple outfit of a dark blue hoodie and black jeans, which were both soaked in rain water. But it was the tame collar strapped to Azriel's neck that really caught Nick's attention. He wondered what the old fox had felt, what he had thought, as that cursed device was locked to his neck, monitoring his every emotions as if he were some criminal—

Nick pushed the thought aside before it could seep in too deep.

What did Azriel have to tell him that was so important? Secrets about Bellwether, about the night howler serum, about who was creating the stuff?

But… "How long have you been tracking us? "A stupid question that had came out his mouth to fast to stop—because he already knew the answer.

Azriel's back was still turned to Nick as he angled his head toward the red fox, just enough for his left eye to be seen. "Since I first heard of the predators rioting at the Zootopain hospital."

Nick's black lips formed a grim line. "ZNN?"

Azriel nodded. "News of it was swarming every channel, especially ZNN, of course—nobody could've missed it." He turned on his heels, his body fully facing Nick. "They mentioned your name in the news broadcast, too—Nick Wilde, am I right? They identified you as one of the Zootopian Hospital's missing patients."

Nick scoffed. "I'm surprised they even noticed. Those prey doctors… They left me strapped to a bed for hours and hours… And hours. I don't know how long, really." Just remembering what the doctors had done to him sent ice running up his veins, and had his tail twitching. He grimaced in pain.

There was something like concern in Azriel's green eyes as they flicked down to Nick's fractured tail, so stiff, as if it had been frozen in ice. "So that's why your tail is still injured." His gaze lingered there for a few moments, before turning his attention back to Nick's. "Don't worry, though—I'll help you get it healed."

Nick opened his mouth to say something—

"But as of now, Nick, that's besides the point," Azriel said, holding one paw up, silencing the fox. "I have a reason why I'm here. I want you and Officer Hopps to help me take down a tyrant. If you hadn't known before, Bellwether is the cause of all the savage attacks, and I plan to throw her behind bars."

The request caught Nick off guard, but he gave the older fox a smug grin, a mask to hide the dread and agony of what those doctors had done to him. "Me and Hopps are way ahead of you on that, Az. She's already on her way down to meet Bogo and tell him about Bellwether's actions, including the Night Howler serum."

Azriel would've frowned at the sudden nickname, frowned at the mask Nick had so quickly put on to hide his own emotions, but it was horror that had his eyes widening. "Oh dear God…" The words were ghost in the wind, fading, barley noticeable.

"We have to go," Azriel said, than ran past Nick and to the door, pulling it open, the hinges squeaking. He glanced back at Nick, fear dancing in those forest-green eyes. "We have to go." His voice was loud.

Nick stood in place, perplexed, shocked. "Wait—what do you mean—"

"I'll explain on the car-ride there, Nick. But if we don't leave now, Judy's going to die."

Nick's expression mimicked Azriel's, and he was the first one running down the hallway toward the elevator. Azriel slammed the door shut and ran after the younger fox, not bothering to ask if he had the key-card on him or not.

They probably wouldn't be coming back to the Palm Hotel anyway.

* * *

When the two foxes made it to the front desk, it was the tiger security guard that took the tame collar off their neck's with a stone-cold expression.

Nick didn't even have time to consider the relief he felt when the collar was unhooked from his neck before he and Azriel ran out to the parking lot and jumped into the arctic foxes car—an expensive car, he realized. A Cadillac Escala.

The cars engine sounded like a roaring lion, but as tranquil as a siren's song.

They left the parking lot of the Palm Hotel at top speed, leaving dark tire tracks in their wake.

* * *

 _You should've went with her._

 _You should've went with her._

 _You should've went with her._

Those words clang through his head like a reverberating bell, over and over, torturing him, punishing him for his decision.

Nick had begged Azriel, nearly bellowed at the old fox, to tell him what he meant. Why did he say 'Judy is going to die'. Just saying the words made his heart lurch with fear, because he knew, and feared, what those predators would do to her if they ever got their paws on her.

Blazing flames and screams and ashes and falling debris flashed in his mind. The predators had already attempted to kill her three times, and she was lucky enough to escape them with all her limbs intact—barely, though. And if they tried a fourth time…

Nick's sea green eyes traveled over to Azriel, who sat in the drivers seat, eyes glaring at the road.

The Arctic had told him, no, wailed at him to to keep quiet until he reached the interstate, the quickest route to City Central. _I'm trying to read the signs, Nick, trying to find the quickest route to the interstate! So, until we reach the interstate, do me a favor and keep your snout shut!_

Among canines, referring to their mouths as 'snouts' was considered an insult, a challenge. What parents would say to their children when they talked back or acted disrespectful.

Nick had actually went wide-eyed at Azriel's outburst, but he'd hesitantly obeyed. It had taken every once of will power for Nick to sit back in the black, leathery chair and stare at the road ahead, but his paws remained clamped on his lap, nearly quivering, claws unsheathed.

Soon after, they entered the interstate, which was empty, just like the rest of Sahara Square. Azriel pushed the car to its top speed, the engine reverberating throughout the vehicle.

Azriel's tone was filled with dread as he said, "what I'm about to share with you, Nick, is information that Bellwether has been hunting me across Zootopia for, to silence me."

Nick's furry, creamy brown ears perked. His only response to Azriel's words.

"I'll start from the beginning; is that alright with you?" Azriel asked, glancing over at the red fox. A question to make sure he was calm enough, patient enough, to hear the full story, Nick realized.

So he nodded, hesitantly though.

Azriel returned the nod, then said, "two months ago, I was trailing one of Bellwether's assassins, a ram named Doug Jackson—apparently, one of Bellwether's most trusted minion. The lab he unknowingly lead me to was located in drop-spot underground, the abandoned subway station. I let him unlock the entrance to the lab, which was a one-cart passenger train, before I put him to sleep with a metal bar to the head.

"But when I searched the lab for evidence… I didn't find much. Only a case-file labeled "Contacts" and the NNight Howler serum."

Nick's eyes widened only barely, but he didn't dare look over at the old fox. If Azriel had actually stolen the serum from Bellwether, then why hadn't he shown it to Bogo, or any other high-ranking mammal in Zootopia? Why hadn't he used the evidence to bribe Bellwether in some way?

The temptation to ask his question aloud was almost overwhelming…

 _You should've went with her._

… But he willed himself to stay quiet, to listen to what Azriel had to say. Years and years of being a con-artist had taught him that much.

Azriel said, "at first, I thought I had beaten Bellwether by stealing the serum, bringing it back to my home, and studying it with my wife.

Nick found himself wondering who Azriel's wife was, and if she was as strong and as confident as her husband?

"But," The red foxes ears perked at that word, pine-green eyes flicking over to the older fox, "the evidence proved to be useless." A pause, the reverberating engine and the pattering of rain being the only sound that danced in the car. And then, "it was what inside the case-files that made it useless."

"What do you mean?" Nick asked. The question came out faster than he could stop it.

"When I made time to study over the case-files, to see who Bellwether's contacts were… It was shocking. Most of them were random names that I have never heard of, but some of them…" Azriel clutched the steering, his claws— _his claws_ —unsheathed and gleaming in the dim light. "…some of them were from mayors of cities across the world. But there was one name that stood out to me the most, scared me, actually."

A bolt of lighting cut through the gray clouds, thunder growling angrily.

"Chief Bogo."

* * *

 **This chapter really felt like a filler, but I hoped you guys enjoyed it.**


	18. Wasted Hope, Dreadful Realization

**I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys, but here's chapter 18. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _8:32_ a _m; City Central_

* * *

The rain was still pouring down violently, no sign of the sun ever cracking through the thick, depressing, and gray clouds enveloping the skies.

There had been something in those pine-green eyes when Nick had kissed her and marked her with his scent and told her goodbye before she left the Palm Hotel, something _off_. As if he knew what would happen when she met with Chief Bogo.

Maybe it was because of her own fear infecting her mind, but despite that, she knew she had seen something in his expression, something he didn't bother talking to her about. And perhaps that was for the best that he'd kept his dreadful thoughts to himself when they were so close to ending all of this—was it, though?

The thought still nagged at Judy's mind, even as she stood before the wooden door to Chief Bogo's apartment. The door itself was four times her size, as were all the other doors in the hallway. An apartment building for larger mammals.

The entirety of City Central was put on lock down by police officers from _every_ district. It was another thought that had heard head throbbing with so many emotions.

She hadn't seen one predator wandering the streets on her drive to the Chief's apartment. And when she did, they would be growling and snarling in hand-cuffs or a muzzle, sometimes in both. She'd even seen some lying dead on the asphalt, their blood staining the street. And the policemammals—God curse them—glared or spat at the ruined corpse. It angered and agonized her to think what this single, gruesome riot had done to this already-corrupt city, further segregating prey and predator, making life more restrained and miserable for both.

And Bellwether…

Judy glared at the wooden door, as if she could burn a hole through the aged, chipped dark-blue-painted wood.

Hopefully, if that sheep was caught, she would sentenced to death in the most bloodiest way possible—it was what she deserved.

Judy went rigid.

What was she thinking, wishing such a terrible end on someone else.

 _What has this city done to you, Judy,_ a voice in the unknown parts of her mind whispered, a voice filled with pity and sorrow. The voice, she realized, of her old self—that happy, naïve Judy Hopps who'd died so many weeks ago.

 _This city has torn apart the innocence inside me apart and left it to rot, that's what it has done to me._ It made her eyes burn, but she blinked—once, twice. She shrugged it off.

As soon as she knocked on the giant door hard enough for the sound to snake down the hallway, she heard heavy, thumping footsteps.

The wooden door creaked opened, and Judy felt something in her chest tighten as she stared up at that cruel, unforgiving expression.

Chief Bogo's gaze immediately flicked down to meet hers, and his nostrils flared, as if she weren't the first officer who had shown up to his front door. Maybe that was the case.

Judy dared herself only seconds to scan the Chief. He wore dark blue muscle shirt with grey shorts—a laid back type of outfit. _He's_ _probably_ _doing most of his work at home since the ZPD was burnt to the ground,_ Judy guessed.

With one hoof still gripping the door, the Chief opened it wider—making room for her to enter. "Come in, Hopps." His deep voice cut through the hallway like a red-hot knife, cut through her sensitive ear drums and that tightness within her.

"Yes, sir," she said softly, nervously almost, then stepped into the apartment, the blue carpet soft and welcoming beneath her feet.

And when the Chief closed that giant door behind her, she felt… Trapped. _Why?_

Chief Bogo walked into an open kitchen right across from the living room, his hoofs clicking on white-tiled floor. He then said, "before you tell me why you're here Hopps, I want to ask you a question first."

Judy had only taken a couple of steps from the front door before she froze, violet eyes meeting hazel. There was a question in the bunnies gaze, and the Chief saw it almost immediately.

"I knew you were still in the Zootopian Hospital when the predators began rioting, killing every prey mammal that came in their way, including some of the patients. So, how did you escape when every predator in the riot was after _your_ head?"

Silence.

Violet orbs flicked down to the blue carpets, lingering, contemplating.

The way the Chief had asked that question…

Judy remained staring at the floor as she said, "I used the ventilation system too avoid being caught in the riot, but I had to fight off some predators anyways." She was deciding whether she should mentions Nick's name or no, but those ancient whispers breathed _no._ So she didn't, and it made sense—with the bloody, gruesome riot still rattling the minds of so many mammals, especially prey, it made sense. "After I managed to escape, I stayed at a hotel for the night. And the rest goes on from there."

The Chief stared at her for a few moments, scanning. His brows furrowed and his nostrils flared. "I see." He mused. His hazel eyes flicked down to the floor for only a moment, then returned to meet hers. "Well… At least they didn't have to carry you out of that hospital in a body bag."

Judy's lips thinned. They were many times in that damned hospital where she could've been put into a body bag, her corpse mutilated by knifes and bullets and claws. She pushed back a shiver.

The Chief ambled from the kitchen to the living room, drinking a bottle of water he'd got from his refrigerator, his hoofs thumping on the smooth, carpet floor.

Judy followed after him on slow, silent feet, her violet eyes, once again, staring down at the floor.

"You sound like you wouldn't have cared if I died or not, sir?"

The Chief froze mid-step. He turned his body, fully facing her, no emotion in his hard face. "Quiet the opposite, Hopps, trust me." He turned his back to her once again, and continued to walk toward the living room. "You're one of the best detectives on the force." He saids, taking another gulp of his water. "It would've been a huge loss for me and this city if you were reported dead."

She didn't bother replying to what the Chief said, mostly because she was wordless by her own actions, by what she had asked. Where had that question came from, anyway? Suspicion, perhaps?

She shook off the thought.

The Chief sat down on a couch just as blue as the carpet floors, his deep grunt suggesting to his tired, sore muscles.

Judy claimed a couch right across from the Chief's, and, placing her paws on the midnight blue cushions, hoisted herself up with a light rumble in her throat, taking a seating position, crossing her legs—lady-like manners her older sisters had pounded into her head when she was younger.

Her violet eyes slid down to the oak-wood table between them, which was littered with dozens and dozens of papers scattered across its dark brown surface, and Judy didn't bother reading any of them.

The Chief must've been very busy lately, Judy guessed, since every crime and complaint in City Central went directly to him.

Chief Bogo said, leaning forward on the couch and setting his glass of water on the table, his muscled forearms resting on his lap, "so then, Hopps, I'm assuming you have some clues on the savage attacks you want to share with me?" A barely-visible grin tugged on his lips.

Judy wasn't surprised by the he fact that the Chief knew why she was here, that he knew what she was waiting to tell him. She guessed it was obvious, too.

So, Judy told Chief Bogo everything she knew about Bellwether and the Night Howler serum, albeit carefully. She left out anything that involved Nick, despite the fact that the Chief had already met him at the rain forest district—where Nick had stood up for her when she was seconds away from losing her badge, her honor, and gave her a chance to prove that she could be a real cop (she would cherish that moment until the day she died). She went on about how Bellwether had visited her in the hospital and threatened her life, the message the mayor had left her at the Palm Hotel.

And during the whole time she talked, the Chief's expression remained unflinching, emotionless, just as she expected it to be. There were times, however, when he would blink in surprise, maybe tighten his jaw, but that was it.

When Judy finished explaining everything she knew to him, the Chief was as still as a lifeless statue, his features a blank wall.

Stiff-backed, Judy patiently waited for his reply. What action he would suggest to take first? Take down Bellwether? Or would he even believe her at all?

 _He will_ , those ancient whispers said. _He will. He has to._

The Chief took in a long breath. Judy's nose twitched, once, twice, thrice.

"Honestly," Judy jumped with the first word he spoke, "I knew you'd crack this case sooner or later, Hopps." He paused, his nostrils flaring once more.

Judy opened her mouth to accept the compliment, but—

"I just didn't know it would be so soon." The Chief seemed to be musing.

Ice crawled up her spine. One of her paws began trembling, badly. She clutched it with the other one, placing it right on top.

The Chief must've seen her trembling paws, because she could've sworn…. She could've sworn there was something like lust on his expression.

But it vanished as fast as it came, and the Chief's gaze locked with hers, penetrating her soul.

It was an effort to not avoid his gaze, but she willed herself to keep her shoulders squared and her back straight—

"Back then," the Chief said, "when you first joined the ZPD, do you know why I assigned you to be a meter maid, do you know why I tried to have you fired when you attempted to work on the Emit Otterton case?" The sudden glare Chief Bogo gave her next had Judy's ears falling back on her head, and her nose twitching violently.

Her instincts screamed at her to _run, run, run_. But she—

"Because we saw the potential in you, Hopps. We saw how big of threat you were to us and are plans. And the fact that you put Lionheart behind bars, the fact that you picked up enough evidence to expose him of his crimes in just a time-span of _two days_ showed me—showed Bellwether—what you could do to us and are plans if you ever got the opportunity. But… It seems you already have solved the mystery—most of it anyway." A pause. The Chief tensed, sitting forward on the couch, as if he were preparing to fig— "You know, Hopps, it's shame I have to give up such a talented policemammal."

Judy didn't even have time to consider what the Chief said before he flipped the table between them, paper flying in every direction, and charged at her full speed—

Fear swarmed within her, roared within her mind and chained every muscle in her body—trapping her. But Judy forced herself to overcome that fear and throw it back into the deep crevices of her mind until it was nothing but a whisper.

Her rage broke free of its cage with a wail that made her bones quiver, made those thousand-year-old survival instincts go on full alert and snarl.

Judy was on her feet in seconds, years and years of physical training slamming into her like a sledge hammer.

Powerful, lean legs sent her flying in the air with one hop. She flipped herself in mid-air, her knees pressed against her chest, and her feet aiming straight for the Chief's face, directly for the center—

There was a bone-chilling _crack_ and a roar of pain—

The Chief stumbled back into the couch, his nose a bloody mess and his eyes bloodshot with tears.

He cursed through clenched teeth.

The Chief… He was a traitor. A _traitor_ _._ He was working with Bellwether and—

She didn't let the realization sink in too deep, but deep enough to bring out her loathing and fury toward the Chief—nothing else.

Standing right before him, Judy glared at the Chief, icy rage burning within those violet orbs. The Chief looked up at her, his face scrunched up in pain. But she could've sworn she saw a spark of fear in those hazel eyes when she said, "you're a trader to every innocent prey _and_ predator in Zootopia, you're a trader to every officer who ever looked up to you as their chief." She took a step closer to him, her fist trembling with rage. "And I hope you burn in hell for working with Bellwether."

She didn't dare hesitate in her sharp gaze, didn't dare let her posture falter as she scowled right at the Chief.

Bogo's nostrils flared at that scowl, rage blazing within those hazel eyes. He sat up slightly, resting his massive arm on the sea-blue cushion, the couch groaning beneath his weight. "I may work with Bellwether, Judy," it was the first time he'd ever used her first name, "but I'm not just one of her spies or slave-working minions, I'm one of her assassins."

The blood leached from her face—

"Tell me, Hoops," he said, leaning up even more, "have you ever wondered who Jamal's killer was?"

Jamal's curled up, bloody corpse… it was an image which would leave deep scars in her mind for the rest of her days. And Judy suddenly found herself losing her breath, suddenly wasn't standing in Bogo's apartment—

She sat in the passenger seat of Jamal's police cruiser, watching him as he fell to the asphalt, dead, being shot over and over _and over and over and over_ again with his blood pouring on the streets—

He had killed him—

The Chief had killed Jamal—

"Why." The word came out weak, barely a command. But then anger grabbed her tongue. "Why did _you kill him, you vile snake!_ " It wasn't a question.

Bogo shrugged— _shrugged_. "He knew too much, Hopps, suspected too much, just like you. He had to die, as well as Wolfard."

Judy froze in shock at the mention of that single name. Wolfard hadn't been the one to do it, he hadn't been the one to burn down the ZPD, in an attempt to kill her? Then, if Wolfard hadn't done it, then… her eyes slid over to Bogo.

Wolfard was innocent, and he was soon to be put to death by gunfire.

The Chief moved his arm back into the couch.

That gleam in his eyes returned, along with anger. "Jamal had given me a hard time in keeping the Mayor's secret. He spent every day he was at work studying the savage attacks, and, eventually, he solved the case, and had found out that Bellwether had been behind it all. And when he reported his information to me, when he saw the shock and hesitation in my voice when I told him to hold onto that information and not tell anybody, he gave _me_ a suspicious look, was having second thoughts about if I was really trying to stop the savage attacks. So when I finally got my chance to kill that wolf, I made damn sure he was dead."

Twenty four—there had been twenty four bullets buried deep within Jamal's body, some being so deep that not even the doctors could reach them. And when they couldn't reach the bullets without tearing the wolf's body apart, they buried him with them.

Judy's blood boiled, rage seeping through her veins.

But then… _As well as Wolfard_.

"So you plan to have Wolfard killed as well, for a crime you committed!"

"Yes, I do, because, Jamal may have been killed, but not before telling Wolfard _everything_ he knew, including his suspicion of me." He said.

Judy snarled. A snarl that would make Nick take a step back.

The Chief chuckled at that snarl.

 _She was going to kill him._ "I'm going to kill you…. You traitor, you _lier_!" She roared, her clenched fist trembling.

The Chief's arm moved deeper into the couch, right between the cushions. And it wasn't until then that Judy noticed… _He's reaching for something._

Bogo grinned, his expression black with malice. "I'll make sure they put your grave stone right next to Jamal's."

His arms went deeper between the cushions—

Then he lunged at her once again, a machete grasped in his hoof.

* * *

 _40 minutes before…_

* * *

It took every once of will power, every once of self-control for him to not claw up the black, leathery seat he sat in as Azriel slowly brought the car to a stop.

Nick mumbled silent curses, yet they were loud enough for the older fox to hear.

Azriel looked over at him, and there was understanding gleaming in those forest-green eyes. He said, gently, "this won't take long, Nick." A reassuring statement.

A low growl through his ice-white teeth was Nick's only response.

His gaze flicked to the ram-police officer slowly stalking toward the car, the mammal keeping his hoof within a healthy distance of his gun, which was hidden beneath his dark-blue rain jacket.

Nick clenched his dark-auburn fist, his claws digging into his paw-pads, desperately trying to compose his roaring instincts rattling his mind and body, instincts to protect the bunny he loved. He wanted to jump out this car and sprint right for Bogo's apartment, because if Judy, if his soon-to-be mate was hurt in any way—in _any way—_ he was going to gut that buffalo with his God-damned claws. And take a long time doing it, too.

He took in a breath, calming himself.

But if Azriel was right, then he could wait a minute longer. The arctic fox was a fire-fighter of City Central, so hopefully the police would let them both pass… And if they didn't…

He didn't want to consider that possibility.

Nick scanned the blockade of police cars and policemammals before them—policemammals from _every_ district he realized. Each of them prey, wearing saggy, cloak-like rain jackets over their uniforms with a shotgun or a pistol in their paw. And their red eyes and sluggish postures made it obvious that they had been up most of the night, and were ready to go home.

Nick's eyes widened only slightly, barely noticeable. If City Central had to call in _every_ police station from _every district_ … The predators must've put up a good fight against the police. But how many had died in that fight.

Nick shut out the thought before it struck too deep.

Azriel rolled down his window, that friendly, pleasant smile stretching across his muzzle as the ram-police officer neared.

The ram's slit eyes narrowed as he scanned the two foxes, sizing them up, as if the officer was waiting for one of them to pull out the weapon of some sort.

Azriel was the first to speak.

"Good morning, offi—"

"Predators aren't allowed in City Central for the next two months, fox." The ram said. A strict, harsh statement. "So turn around and go back to whatever district you came from or get shot dead on the spot. We have permission from the Mayor and the Chief to kill anybody he doesn't follow orders."

Nick flinched. Not just at ram's tone, but at what he had said before. Predators weren't allowed in City Central for the next two months?

 _Shit._ That would make matters worse.

Azriel's smile didn't so much as waver at the unspoken threat. Nick had to give the old fox credit for that.

But his paw, which were on the steering wheel, tightened their grasp. Silent wrath.

"Azriel Snowfur, sir. The ZFD's first and only fox." He said his title so proudly that it had Nick wondering if he could say something similar if he became a cop. "Chief Stripes had called me in a few hours back, so if you turn me around you'll have to take it up with him."

That smile on his lips widened. Widened in a way that was similar to Nick's. A sly smile. "And I think every officer and fire-mammal knows how pissy he can get when things don't go his way."

The ram grumbled, cursing audibly. He then said, "Let me see your I.D, fox."

Azriel only nodded, that friendly smile returning.

The old fox reached into his pants-pocket, careful not to make any sudden movements that would set the officer on high alert—

But he stopped when he noticed the ram was staring straight at him—staring at him with… Suspicion.

No. Not at him… At Nick.

Nick returned the officer's gaze, his expression a mask of boredom, and slight confusion.

Azriel opened his mouth to say something—

One moment, the ram's eyes went wide with realization.

The next, he was aiming his pistol straight at Azriel's face, his hoofed-finger on the trigger, ready to fire.

Azriel's frost-white paws instantly went up, his smile vanishing simultaneously—

Nick's claws were unsheathed only seconds later, his muscles going tense, readying himself to lung forward at the ram if needed. His auburn and black tail twitch from where it was, pushed up against the seat. The clenching of his jaw was the only sign of the pain shooting through his spine.

"Driver, step out the car, now!" The ram wailed.

"Officer—"

Nick cut him off.

"What do you mean 'step out of the car, he hasn't done anything wrong—"

 _BANG! BANG!_

Both foxes ears fell flat against their heads.

Cracks crawled across the windshield, the twin bullets caught in the tempered glass.

A warning shot.

Nick's sea-green eyes slid over to the nearly shattered windshield, and back to Azriel, then to the officer.

He bit back a snarl.

"I'm sorry." Azriel said, swallowing a lump in his throat, his breathing heavy from being spooked by the close-range gun shots.

"I'm sorry," he said again, his paws still raised. "We'll do what you say… Just… Don't shoot. Please."

The old fox glanced back at Nick. And Nick's pine-green eyes met Azriel's forest-green.

The red fox opened his mouth to make a retort… But… He stopped. Because the gleam in Azriel's eyes… Fear, anxiety, and… remembrance. Remembrance—as if the fox had been in a scenario like this before.

Nick's black lips thinned, but… He nodded in understanding.

Azriel let out a breath, and slowly returned his gaze to the officer. It was hard not look at the gun still aimed at him.

The ram looked at both the foxes, then said, "you do as I say, fox, and I won't have to put a bullet in your head. Are we clear?" A final warning.

"Yes, sir," Azriel said, lowly.

The ram lowered his gun at the answer, reaching under his soaked cloak-jacket and tucking it away in his belt. He pulled out a radio strapped to his broad shoulders, binging it close to his mouth, saying, "I have Nick Wilde over here, sitting right in the passenger seat."

Nick's pupils turned to grains of sand when the officer said his name into the radio. Because he knew what was going to happen next.

He was going to be arrested because… Because...

He looked down at his unsheathed claws, his heart pounding from within his chest. Judy—what he had done to Judy… What he had done… With his claws…

 _But… But that's impossible,_ he thought, his paws trembling so badly that it had Azriel giving him a look full of worry and confusion. _Judy had deleted the security footage… She had deleted it so Bogo or Bellwether—_

Bellwether.

That bitch of a lamb must've pulled the footage out of somewhere, made a copy and showed it to ZNN. But how—how how how _how_ —

It was Azriel who broke his chain of thought.

"Nick." A soft, barely audible whisper.

Nick's attention immediately snapped to Azriel, his ears slightly perking.

The old foxes body was fully facing Nick as he reached into his black jeans, pulling out a—

Nick nearly cursed at the pistol Azriel held in his paw.

He stared and stared at the weapon, before his pine-green eyes flicked up to Azriel.

Nick whispered as loudly as he dared, "Azriel, you can't be serious—"

"You think I would be doing this if we had another choice? You and I are going to be arrested, and Judy is in danger. She has probably already made it to Bogo's by now, may have already been killed by that damned trader." He said, a barely-visible scowl on his muzzle.

The old fox was right, right about it all. The thought of Judy being killed by the Chief made his heart clench with agony and his blood, his predatory blood boil with wrath. Despite that…

"Azriel," Nick said, his tone grave, honest. "If you do this, you'll lose everything you've worked so hard for. Don't do it just for my sake, please."

"Hey, both of you stop whispering and sit back in your seats."

They both ignored the ram, not even bothering to give him a glance.

Azriel stared and stared at Nick, as if he were deciding on the red foxes words, wondering if doing _this_ —killing an officer—was the right decision, the only decision.

"Fox, did you hear me? Sit _back in your seat."_

The ram was, once again, ignored.

Azriel gave Nick a blank look. "When I pull out this pistol, Nick," he said, his tone empty of any emotion, "get down."

Then he sat back in his chair, his friendly smile a mask as he tucked the pistol into the pocket of his hoodie.

The ram glared at Azriel—glared at Nick. And Nick, out of spite, smirked at him.

"Step out the car, Azriel Snowfur, or I'll put you down like the savage beast you are," the ram growled, yellow, cricket teeth flashing.

Azriel, once again, nodded calmly to the ram. Then, faster than anyone could realize, he looked at Nick through the corner of his vision.

 _Get ready,_ those forest-green eyes seemed to say.

Nick let out a small, shaky breath. _We're doing this to save Judy_ , he reminded himself. _We're doing this to save Judy._

Azriel said, "before I do, officer, may I say something?"

Nick glanced down at that snow-white paw still tucked in the pocket of the dark blue hoodie, glanced down at the pistol shifting beneath the soft fabric.

The ram officer gave the old fox a dangerous look. "What—"

A gunshot echoed through the rainy sky. Echoed and bounced off the soaked streets and the building surrounding it.

Nick jumped in his seat.

Azriel clenched his eyes shut, his ears falling back.

And ever officer standing at the blockade went stiff.

The showering of rain was the only sound that was heard as the ram officer's corpse fell to the wet asphalt, his body making a splashing sound on impact.

Ruby, red blood ran from the ram's head and onto the streets, streaming into the drainer along the flanking side-walks.

Nick was sitting straight up in his seat, his eyes wide with surprise and terror, and his body quivering.

He looked down to the pistol which was now sitting in Azriel's lap, a paw no longer clutching it.

Had he really done it, had he really shot the—

Sea-green eyes slowly traveled up Azriel's torso, traveled up his neck, and then to his face. Until he met eyes which were exact copies of his own, which were now wide eyed and filled with shock.

Nick immediately understood.

Azriel—he hadn't done it, he hadn't shot the ram.

"Who did it, then," Nick mused.

 **"** **OH SHIT! GRENADE!"**

 **"** **GET DOWN! GET DOWN!"**

Both foxes attention immediately snapped toward the blockade—

Dancing shades of orange and blue flames exploded, shockwaves of the explosion tearing through the air.

The cracks on the windshield crawled across its surface, almost shattering it.

Nick's paws instantly shot up, shielding his face.

"Shit." It was Azriel, his teeth fully bared and gleaming in the roaring flames as waves of heat scorched the air—scorched _them_. " _Shit."_ He cursed again.

Nick lowered his paw only by inches. _What the hell was that?_ "What the hell was that? Azriel!"

Azriel was now looking at the rear view mirror, his pupils shrinking more and more the longer he stared at it. "Oh dear God," he breathed, his voice hoarse.

His ears fell flat, his jaw gaping and his tail going limp—

Nick gave the arctic fox a long, worried look before he turned around in his seat to look at what was behind them.

And what he saw…

A mob of predators holding either guns or flaming bottles or machetes charging straight for the blockade—straight for _them_.

"It's that prey-loving fox," one of the predators in the group—a wolverine—roared.

Others roared with the wolverine, shouting to kill him _kill him kill him—_

A grenade suddenly slammed into the back window of the car, the glass hiss with cracks as it rolled on the trunk-lid of the car—

Then dropped to the ground with a metallic click.

Nick turned over in his seat, giving Azriel—

Azriel shot the transmission into drive, the tires screaming as they caught their grip on the soaked concrete.

The block-ad before them was nothing but a wall of flames and heated metal and burning flesh.

Azriel clenched his jaw harder and harder as they neared that blockade, counting down every inch.

The grenade exploded in a ball of raging fire.

Shockwaves from the explosion shot the rear-end of the car straight into the air, the front-bumper grinding against the asphalt, sparks dancing.

Azriel cursed loudly, his paws clutching the steering wheel with a terror-stricken grip.

Nick went snout-first into the dash board, groaning in agony.

Rear-tires met solid concrete, and the car bounced up and down fiercely, the suspension groaning.

And when the rear-tires had made that hard impact on the road, Azriel only had seconds— _seconds_ —to look to the blockade, to plan his next move.

The police cars lined pumper to pumper where in slight disarray from the explosion, but still close enough to block the road—

The arctic fox stomped his foot on the brake, jerking the steering wheel fully to the left with gritted teeth.

The car slid sideways, all four tires screeching as rain water and mist flew.

Nick grabbed the arm-rest of his seat, his unsheathed claws piercing the fine leather.

The car hit the blockade full force, the screeching of the tires silenced by clash of metal against metal. And the blazing police cars lined along the blockade went skidding out the way.

The car began leaning to its side as its tires continued to grind and grind and grind across the asphalt—

Before coming to a complete stop.

Azriel let out a deep grunt as the car regained its balance on all fours. But he didn't give himself time to rest, nor time to let everything sink in as he pressed on the gas.

The sound of the car speeding away howled through the streets.

Nick laid his head back on the seat, his jaw trembling from the freezing rain-water and wind blowing through the destroyed windshield, and the pain—the constant agony thrumming from his fractured tail.

His tail was still pressed against the back-rest of the seat, but being tossed around inside the car must've caused it to move and bend, further injuring the bone—

"I'm fine," Nick said, hoisting his head up from the seat just barely, his ears flat, his back curved in and a painful sound slipping through his black lips.

It wasn't until Nick said something that Azriel noticed he was taking glances at him, glancing at his tail, glancing at that sharp snap right in the center of the tail-bone.

He shivered, his own tail throbbing with a ghost of pain.

"I'm fine," Nick said again.

He didn't believe him, but he kept his mouth shut, because they didn't have time to argue. They had already wasted enough time, and right now, with Judy's life being at risk, every single second counted.

Azriel took one last glance at Nick. "You had hurt her before, hadn't you?" The question came out faster than he could stop it, a question that had been nagging at his mind since the ram had pulled a gun on them, and he cursed himself deeply for letting it slip.

Nick remained quiet for a long moment, the grumbling reverberation of the engine being the only sound between them.

And Azriel could've sworn he heard a soft sob choke up in Nick's throat as he said, "I had, and I hated myself for it. And despite everything I did to her, she… She had tried to cover it up—to protect me, so I wouldn't be hunted down and thrown in jail." He swallowed a lump in his throat, his features tense.

Azriel remained staring out of the nearly-shattered windshield, silent. Then, "they're going come after you for what you did to her, no matter what you say."

"I know," was all Nick said.

Those forest-green eyes lingered on his paws, which held a loose grip on the steering wheel. He tightened it. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed. He opened it again, but no words came out.

Azriel didn't know what to say to the red fox, nor did he know how to comfort him. Because what they were about to do made no room for any reassuring words or action. If Bogo had gave Judy any life-threatening injuries, or had killed her—

He didn't want to complete that thought. He looked at Nick through the corner of his eye.

No. He certainly did not want to complete that thought.

So, instead, Azriel said, "we're only ten minutes from Bogo's house." To take Nick's thoughts away from the guilt clouding his mind—guilt of hurting Judy.

It must've worked, because Nick's ears perked and his shoulders tensed.

Azriel took in a long breath. With Nick being a wanted mammal and Judy constantly being hunted down by predators, Zootopia was no longer a safe place for them anymore. And… Perhaps it never would.

* * *

With the first swing of the machete, Judy's entire body went on high alert. And before she'd even realized it, she jumped back three feet—but not before having her perked ear nicked by the tip of that sharp blade.

Judy grounded her teeth in pain as she regained her footing on the soft, blue carpet, not daring to let Bogo out off her sight.

She felt a drop of blood run down her right perked ear, cold air kissing that small, deep—too deep—cut on the gray, furry edges, sending a burning sensation through her ear. But she only gave herself seconds to take her eyes off the Chief to look toward the front door of the apartment, which was behind her.

She scanned the door. It wasn't locked, but the doorknob was too high for her to reach—she would have to jump. But Jumping for the doorknob and trying to open it… That wouldn't leave her with enough time to escape, to avoid having her guts spilled by the Chief.

So she had to buy herself some time, somehow, and wait for the perfect opportunity to escape—or attack.

Judy didn't let her guard down as she said, "what made you want to work along side Bellwether, let alone be one of her assassins?" Pure, unyielding wrath nibbled at the tip of her tongue with every word. She had to control herself, her emotions. But his betrayal… acting so loyal and brave, as if he had committed himself to protecting Zootopia, as if he had committed himself to protecting prey _and_ predator—

But it meant nothing to him… A grand performance leading to a climax. The climax being whatever Bellwether had planned in the future.

It made her sick, his shameless disloyalty. And the fact that she had trusted him, had put every once of her hope in him to save this city, to save the mammals suffering within it…

Her fisted paw was shaking badly, with rage—silent, contained rage. _Calm, Judy. Be calm._ She told herself, over and over. She had to be smart about this, if she wanted to survive.

The Chief said, after a long silence, "twenty years, I've have been the Chief of the ZPD for twenty years, and witnessed many crimes that were committed—homicides, robbery, kidnapping, rape, mammalslaughter. And eighty two percent of those crimes are committed by predators, and predators only. Every single day, Hopps—eighty two percent. While we prey only cause ten percent of those crimes."

He took one step toward, hatred and a gleam of something else seemed to dance in his eyes, a dark, sinful dance. He went on, his voice raising with every word. "For twenty years, I've seen prey trying to remain peaceful, non-violet, but those savages—those _predators_ —prevent that. They prevent Zootopia from being the true utopia it was meant to be, with their violent nature and need for domination over each other. They, Hopps—predators—are mostly, and truly, the cause of all the suffering in the world. The gruesome riots they are starting, all the innocent prey they are killing, is only further proof of that."

Judy only stood there, stiff-backed, but those violet eyes and her tone when she spoke was filled with deadly calm. "You say predators are the cause of all the suffering and violence in the world, and yet you murdered Officer Jamal in cold-blood, you betrayed every mammal who ever looked up to you." She took one step back, toward the front door.

If she could only get closer…

The Chief let out a dark laugh. "I know I'm a piece of shit for killing Jamal, and even more so for being one of Bellwether's assassin's, but I'm not doing it for my own selfish. No—everything I do is for what I believe."

"Which is?" She took another step back. More time—she needed more time.

He seemed to be musing as he said, "a Zootopia were only prey thrive within. A city with true peace."

She didn't care about any of that, didn't bother responding to it.

By the way the Chief's body had slightly relaxed, she knew he had let his guard down only by an inch.

This was her chance. She only needed a few seconds.

Judy dashed for the front door on light feet, her violet eyes locked on the golden doorknob.

But only moments after, she heard heavy thumping sounds trailing right behind her.

She didn't dare look back, didn't dare imagine that blade cutting through her flesh.

She jumped for the door knob, gripped it with all her strength, and tried to turn it.

It budge by a few inches, but not enough to open the door.

Her paws weren't big enough to fully turn it fast enough.

 _Shit. Shit. Shit._

She looked over her shoulder, to see the Chief was only a few steps behind her, machete raised and tightly gripped in his hoof.

And as Judy let go of the doorknob, there was a sudden boom of thunder and a sharp flash of lighting. A second later, her world went into complete darkness.

It wasn't until her feet met the soft, blue carpet that she realized the power in Bogo's apartment had completely went out.

* * *

 **I had been wanting to ask my readers this for a while now, so here it is: should I make my chapters shorter - like about three thousand to two thousand words long - so I can post more often, or should I just continue to make them long? Leave your answer in the reviews. And thanks a ton for reading my story!**


	19. Shock

**I've been out for a long time, I know. But I'm sure some of you know about the outbreak of the flu. Well, I caught it, it caught it really bad, to the point to where had to be sent to the hospital once. But I've been trying to complete this chapter, piece by piece, and now I'm finally finished.**

 **And to the ones that waited so long for this chapter, thank you for being with me despite slow updates.**

 **Well, I think I've talked enough.**

 **Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Oh, and one more thing. I was very sick while writing this chapter. So, my writing might be a little hazy at parts, so please bare with me.**

* * *

Judy wished she had nocturnal vision in the moment Bogo's apartment lights went out. Her eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness fast enough, but her sensitive ears caught the hissing of the machete as it sliced through the air, directly for the center of her forehead.

She barrel rolled left in one swift movement, breaking into a sprint right for the window at the other end of the apartment. The dim, dark, gray light seeping through the narrow window was her only beacon in the thick blanket of darkness.

Her violet eyes remained locked on that window, on that barely visible stream of light.

She would have to shatter the glass on that window and climb down the building. There was no other option. It was her only chance of—

Judy yelped as she tripped over what she knew was the edge of a carpet, falling flat on her face with bone-groaning impact.

She didn't even have time to recover as pain seared through her face, because she heard fast, heavy footsteps only inches behind her and the sharp whistling of a swung blade.

She rolled out of the way, just barely missing the machete. The Chief's powerful arms had the blade cutting deep, deep into the carpet, with a thud that rumbled through a wide range of the floor. She popped up on all fours, scrabbling blindly away from the faint light and into the darkness.

She didn't stop until she felt cold, tiled floors beneath her quivering paws.

Kitchen—she was in the kitchen. At least she'd regained her bearings.

The Chief breathed a vile curse.

"Give up, Hopps, you're going to die no matter what you do. There's no escape." He was right. Shit—he was right. The strength and power of those words… it might as well have been a sealing of her fate.

Ancient, instinctive panic swarmed through her mind, the same panic her ancestors felt whenever they were hunted down by a predator, whenever they were seconds from having the flesh torn from their bones.

Her entire body was quivering, her pink nose twitching rapidly, and… She felt cold as if the blood was being pumped from her veins.

She shook her head, pushing away the panic as best she could—but the coldness in her body lingered. She had to calm herself down, she had to think.

With the barely visible light from the window, she could see Bogo's hulking silhouette stalking through the apartment from where she was stood with her back pressed up against, what she guessed was, a bottom cabinet.

He stood near the window, guarding it, knowing that it wasn't possible for her to open the front door without struggling, or making a noticeable sound.

She only had one option left… And that was to fight back. She could do it, though. She'd beaten mammals twice her size to unconsciousness—and she'd do it again.

Every muscle in her body was still quivering with terror, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest, and her feral instincts roared at her to run and hide.

But it was only a matter of time before the power turned back on.

It was better having the element of surprise on her side.

Unknown to her, the situation was only going to become worse.

Judy's ear twitched at the sound of a soft _click—_

Her pupils dilated when she saw a circular beam of light shine directly on the front door, and went left, slowly moving over the rough, aged walls of the apartment, scanning, searching—for her.

A flashlight, she realized—Bogo had a flashlight.

And with her sensitive hearing… His heavy steps were coming right in her direction.

Shit. Shit. _Shit._

She pressed her back harder against the wooden, bumpy, curved surface of the bottom cabinet, fighting to control her panicked breathing.

She didn't dare peek around the corner, terrified that the Chief would spot her.

That beam of light, once again, shined on the front door, its circular form enlarging as those footsteps neared.

Then, "I can hear you breathing." His deep voice tore through the darkness, tore through her pounding heart and her tight chest.

Judy clasped both her paws over her muzzle. The darkness around her seemed to thicken, even with the glaring light of the flashlight still focusing on the front door.

The coldness of her body worsened, to the point to where she unconsciously chittering her teeth—she stopped herself.

The Chief let out a chuckle.

The stomping of those heavy footsteps suddenly stopped—stopped… as if he knew exactly where she was hiding and was planning on taking his time catching her and killing her.

He said, "tell me something, Hopps, did you enjoy your… surprise this morning."

Bellwether's death-promising note and the fake night-howler Nick was darted with, of course, he'd known about it.

That didn't matter right now, she told herself. This was her chance—her only chance to attack him, to maybe, hopefully, catch him off guard.

But with the flashlight the Chief was carrying around…

With her back firmly pressed against the wooden cabinet, she slowly side-stepped to the corner. She tried to tense her muscles, but she couldn't steady her shaky body. And the panic boiling within her stomach refused to settle, leaving her breathing heavy and her teeth clenched.

The Chief went on, "I was sure that fox had killed you, especially since Doug had told me you were sleeping in the canine's arms."

Judy's mouth gaped slightly, her eyes going wide. _What did he mean?_ She almost asked the question out loud.

There was a heavy thump as the Chief took one step forward. "Bellwether had thought about having you sniped down after you survived the ZPD fire, but she apparently had a little shred of mercy in her heart to give you a chance to live, to fight for your life." There was a pause as the Chief let out a deep, venomous chuckle that rippled through the darkness. "I'm sure you didn't know this, Hopps, but the night-howler dart your fox friend was shot with only a temporary effect on a mammal's mind." Not a predator's, a mammal's.

Vivid images of Nick lunging at her with his claws unsheathed and his teeth bared coursed through her mind. It was realization that speared through her stomach then, and maybe dread, too. Nick hadn't attacked her because of his night terrors, but…

She couldn't complete her thought.

Her body was trembling so terribly that she could barely keep her balance, the cabinet she had her back pressed against being her only support.

She tried to calm her breathing, tried to steady her wobbling limbs—

Judy fell to her knees, hugging herself, her body shaking and shaking.

She was so cold—

Judy felt a sob nearly break from her throat when she heard the Chief take two heavy steps closer to the corner she hid behind. "A short-term Night Howler serum—it's perfect to further terrify the prey population, to make them think that a predator can go in _and_ out of its savage state at any unsuspected time."

 _You need to move, Judy! Run! Hide,_ her instincts screamed.

She couldn't move, couldn't think.

That beam of light was now directed at the floor, slowly running over the ocean blue carpet, the light growing closer and closer to the corner, to her.

 _Move, Judy! MOVE!_

She tried… she tried she tried she tried

Tears swelled in her eyes.

 _Goddammit_ —she couldn't.

She was going to die.

That bright beam of light was now only inches away from her. There was no doubt about it, the Chief knew exactly where she was hiding. "Me and Bellwether, we're so close to fulfilling our dream, so close to completing our goal, creating the next step in the evolution of this world—for this world."

Shock—Judy finally realized what was happening to her as her body grew colder and colder.

She was going into shock.

 _There's only so much a bunny can take, Judy._ Her Mom had said that once, right before she left to police training, she said that—and Judy never listened. Because she thought she was stronger than that, thought that she could take more and more and never go into shock.

And as Judy poorly balanced herself on her aching knees, with ice-cold tears sliding down her cheeks, she wished she had taken her Mother's words into consideration.

 _I'm going to die._

Two pounding steps, the Chief grew closer. "I really wished you could help with our plan, Hopps, I truly do, but… You already stated your choice very vividly." Venomous rage coated his tone at that last part. "We can't have someone knowing so much about the savage attacks working against us. So, Hopps, you're going to have to die."

And with that last step the Chief took, his hoof clicked on tiled floor.

Violet eyes widened as that flashlight shined directly on her.

 _There's only so much a bunny can take, Judy._

Bogo howled with laughter as Judy went into shock.

* * *

 _5 minutes before…_

* * *

They had finally reached Bogo's apartment.

Nick immediately spotted the stolen car, the car Judy had driven in, parked in front of the apartment building, right along the sidewalk.

Azriel slammed on the brakes, not bothering to park—the streets were completely devoted of any vehicles or pedestrians anyway.

Nick was just about to pull the handle to open the car door when Azriel said, "Nick, I always carry a spare." Then handed Nick a pistol, a silencer attached to it.

He didn't bother to ask where Azriel was keeping the pistol, didn't bother giving any gesture of thanks as he snatched the gun from the old fox's paw, tucking it away into his jeans in one swift movement, as if he'd done it before—which he had, many, many times before, whenever hustling a gang went south.

He bolted out of the car and straight for the metal, glassed-framed double doors that lead straight into the apartment building.

He entered through the double doors, his sea-green eyes searched the small lobby for an elevator or stairs.

He only caught glimpses of the ragged blue walls dull of color, the small mail boxes sprawled out on the left side of lobby slightly rusted and dented, but the smell… He nearly covered his snout. A low-quality apartment building.

His ears perked up when he spotted a metal door to the far right with the word 'stairs' labeled on it.

He gestured to Azriel who was only a step behind him, and went for the metal door.

With the apartment being made for larger mammals, Nick had to practically hop to reach the chrome door handle.

He pulled down on the handle and pushed the heavy door open with a deep grunt—

Nick let out a silent curse at the size of the stairs. He and Azriel would _literally_ have to climb up the stairs.

But he let out a breath when he saw a smaller set right next to the larger stairs.

"Come on," he said to Azriel, the words coming out harsher then he meant them to be.

But Azriel's face remained a blank mask, no emotion at all, as if… as if he was preparing himself for the worst.

The worst, is to find Judy dead, murdered by the Chief of police.

Nick clenched his jaw and pushed the thought aside. But his chest remained tight, constrained, even as he raced up the steps as fast as he could, his fractured tail throbbing with every movement.

He pushed himself, despite the pain. He pushed himself, so he wouldn't be too late to be there to save her, protect her.

He counted every floor they passed, bracing the pain in his tail as it worsened and worsened, to the points to where there were tears pluming in his eyes. He was making his injury worse, he knew that. But Judy… Those gruesome scars on her belly flashed in his mind.

 _First floor_

 _Second floor_

 _Third Floor_

Judy had told him, right before she left the Palm Hotel, which floor and room Bogo lived in. _He lives on the sixth floor, in room 412, Nick, got it?_

He'd branded that information into his mind seconds after she left the hotel room, repeating the floor and room number over and over. And now, knowing that the bunny he loved was only seconds away from death, he was sure damn thankfully he had memorized those numbers.

 _Fourth floor_

 _Fifth floor_

He and Azriel were breathless by the time they made it to the sixth flour, both their eyes, a matching forest-green, scanned each red-painted wooden door flanking down the hallway, for the number 412.

But it was the deep rumble of howling laughter that had both foxes' ears going sharp with alert. The voice of the laughter sounding all too familiar.

Nick's ears fell flat against his head.

It was Chief Bogo. And just the sound of the laughter itself was nothing of happiness, but hate and malice.

He silently prayed to God that Judy was still alive as he sprinted down the hallway, right for room 412.

* * *

She tried to scream or sob or even mutter out a word, but none came out, the panic clasping down too hard on her throat.

She could only feel the cold, solid tile beneath her, could only feel as she clawed at the floor and kicked at the air, her breathing rapid, unrestrained. Her mind trapped in a black empty void abandoned of thought.

Bogo couldn't help but chuckle as he gazed down in delight at her shocked form.

To see strong and bravest fall was what truly put a smile on his face. He did admire Judy's determination and confident she held so proudly. But he knew, deep down, he wanted to see that look of fear and despair in those violet orbs. Wanted to see her break and crumble in self-loathing and doubt.

But this…

With a _click_ the flashlight was off, and he tossed it to the side.

And with a deep laughter that smoothly rippled through his lips, he snatched Judy off the ground, his giant hoof roughly smothering her entire torso—

He pinned her to the kitchen-counter with all his might, the impact booming through the entire room.

Judy let out a rasp. And then a sob, as if she was conscience of what was happen for that one moment.

She was going to die.

The thought had Bogo's fur tingling with unholy bliss.

He mused, "Killing does put a smile on my face." And raised the machete.

* * *

Nick's chest was pounding with anxiety as he watched Azriel pick the apartment door lock as silently as possible.

And though Azriel's expression remained a mask of calm, Nick still caught the urgency in which the old fox picked the lock, still caught the muted quivering in his moon-white paw.

They'd both heard the Chief's deep laughter and the powerful impact of a boom that even raddled the front door.

He heard the rasp of breath, the sob.

Judy.

The sob—Oh God it was Judy.

She was going to die.

He felt his stomach turn over within hi—

"Killing does put a smile on my face."

Nick's mind went blank.

He rammed himself into Azriel, pushing him out of the way, and shot the lock—once, twice. And kicked the door open.

The entire room was smothered in darkness, but with his nocturnal vision—

"Oh God." It was Azriel.

Nick looked on in horror at Judy, who was pinned to a kitchen counter, a machete clenched in Bogo's hoof, the blade of it on a direct path for her neck—

Nick shot the first bullet.

The Chief roared in pain, dropping Judy and the machete to the tiled floor, clenching his shoulder and stumbling back. "You predator filth." He spat.

Judy dropped back-first to the floor, her breathing ragged, her body quivering.

Azriel rushed to her side.

And Nick shot another bullet at the Chief.

He saw the blood that splattered from Bogo's left thigh.

The Chief screamed this time, tripping on his own heel.

The back of his head slammed into the wall at the far end, his body flopping to the floor, motionless.

"Son of a bitch," Nick growled, lowering the gun.

Then…

"Nick." Azriel called out, his tone uneasy, troubled.

Nick's pine-green eyes flicked in the arctic fox's direction, worry immediately overcoming the rage seething within him.

In three swift steps, he was there, kneeling before Azriel, who held Judy gingerly in his arms.

Nick couldn't stop the tears burning at his eyes, couldn't stop the quivering in his lips as he gazed down at her.

Her eyes were closed, but her body was shaking violently, as if she were naked in the middle of a blizzard, and her breathing so heavy and uneven that he could practically hear her thudding heart.

Azriel said, "she's in shock."

Nick brushed a finger against her cheek…

Something in his chest broke when he felt how cold she was, as if she were dead, as if he were too late to save her. A tear slid down his cheek this time, and a sob caught in his throat.

He remembered his times in high school, where he used to see bunnies go into shock from being brutally scared or put under too much stress, and he would laugh to tears every time he saw it happened. Maybe this was God's way of punishing him for that.

His gaze finally left Judy when Azriel extended his arms to him, and said, "hold her."

He obeyed, taking her in his own, shuddering arms, and felt the coldness of her body echo through him, ripping his chest wide open.

This was his fault.

He should've convinced her, should've argued further, to let him come, to be with her. This… Chief Bogo's betrayal… He should've seen it coming. He should've been there.

The tears were still clawing at his eyes as he tucked her against his chest and breathed, "I'm here, Judy." He was a bastard, a damned bastard for letting this happen to her, for not being there. "I'm here." And even though he said those soft, soothing words to comfort her, to calm her down from her shocked state, they felt like lies, the words—each one of them.

Still, some strong, truthful part of him suggested otherwise.

Nick lowered Judy from his chest when he heard her low, agonized whimpers, and felt her shivering becoming drastically worse.

 _She's… She's getting colder._

And she wasn't wearing the black hoodie he'd given her, had likely taken it off and left it in the stolen car parked right outside.

 _Damn it._

"Nick," Azriel said, "when we get outside, keep her as close to your body as possible, she needs warmth." His tone was commanding, unfaltering—and he must've used it many times before as a fire fighter, leading fear-stricken mammals out of a burning building.

He then added, "and if we run into any trouble, cover her ears—loud noises will cause her more stress." _And eventually lead to her dying of shock,_ Nick wanted to say, the words practically sitting on his tongue.

But he nodded, instead.

Quickly, Azriel striped off his dark blue hoodie, revealing his bare, surprisingly muscled torso beneath.

And his snow-white fur, rich and healing, glowed faintly in the light pouring in through the front door of the apartment.

Despite his hatred for the Chief, despite the guilt tearing at him for not being there for Judy, Nick had to admit that Azriel was striking for his age. Vixens must've fallen over themselves for him in his prime.

With the hoodie being so large, it was easy for the two foxes to slip it over Judy's limp body, the thick, flowing, smooth fabric enveloping her from head to toe, keeping her warm.

Nick gingerly folded her ears back, and tucked the hood over her head.

Her shivering calmed if only a little.

At least it meant she would be okay, for now. And he was grateful for that.

But Bellwether… That sheep would send out every assassin she had to end Judy's life, to kill her in the worst way possible.

That yellow sticky note, Bellwether death threat, flashed through his mind.

Nick said, his gaze lingering on Judy, "we can't take her to a hospital, not with that sheep still in office."

Azriel sighed, "I know," then stood to his feet, sheathing his pistol into his jeans. "I live in Bunny Burrow, along the outskirts. My wife works at the Burrow Hospital, she's a doctor and knows how to treat shocked bunnies—she's handled a lot of them, actually."

Nick perked up, his eyes staring straight into Azriel's.

He saw the silent question in the red fox's expression, so he said, "if we can get onto the interstate without running into anymore police blockades or predator riots, it should only be a thirteen-minute drive. But that's _if._ "

Nick stood to his feet, holding Judy closely in his scarred arms. "Then we need to hurry up and go."

They were just at the exit of the apartment room when—

Both of their ears perked up simultaneously.

There was the screeching of tires, of vehicles coming to a heavy halt.

They didn't have to look at the window at the other end of the apartment room to see who it was.

Because the blaring sirens—

"Oh dear God," Azriel gasped, his eyes wide with shock and terror.

 _Why are the police—_

The answer hit him like a brick to the head.

"The riot," Nick mused, the words nothing but a breath of air. He said louder, "the riot. The predators must've started rioting again. The police must've been trying to call Bogo and alert him of it, and if he, for some reason, didn't answer, then…" The words trailed off.

But Azriel finished. "They must've thought the predators had attacked him."

The blockade. When they were stuck at that blockade, the predators had destroyed it, and it allowed them to pass through, barely surviving the onslaught of bullets and grenades'. That must've been when the riot started, the predators final push against the police.

Two foxes armed with pistols, carrying an unconscious Officer Judy Hopps. They were perfect to take the blame for attacking the Chief.

And the police were already outside, armed to the teeth, ready to shoot down any predator in sight.

They were trapped. Going to the roof of the apartment building, with the rain and wind and thunder and lightning, would kill Judy. Would put too much stress on her in her shocked state.

And even if he were to hand Judy over to the police, Chief Bogo, Bellwether especially, would find some way to silently kill her or kidnap her, maybe both.

The heavy thumping of paws and hoofs racing up flights and flights of stairs reverberated through the floor.

He felt the pistol tucked into the pocket of his jeans burn like a red-hot knife.

He wasn't going to let the predators, Bogo or Bellwether take her away from him. She'd already suffered enough pain, by him and this goddamned city.

He'd promised himself to never abandon her again, to never leave her alone to drown in her own despair, in her own agony.

He had put those brutal scars on her belly, he had hurt her worse than the predators ever could—

And despite all that, she'd forgiven him, for all of it. She had never held it against him, never _feared_ him for it. And in the end, she gave him love.

This bunny he held in his arms, this mammal, had given him what he unknowingly wanted for so, so many years: true love, true _happiness_.

His eyes burned once again.

Broken—that was what he'd been, for so many years. Broken, because his mother had killed herself, had left him when he was so young and ignorant. Broken, because day after day _after day_ , he'd lie to himself, convince himself that he didn't care about his past, that being alone with no one that he could really express his feelings did not matter.

But Judy…

 _Nick, you are so much more than that._

He would never forget those words, for as long as he lived.

So as Nick drew his gun from the pocket of his jeans, cradling Judy in his other arm, he knew that he was willing to die to keep his promise, to protect her, to be there for her.

She would not be abandoned—never again.

* * *

Azriel's heart was ragging in his chest, his breathing slightly uneven. But he willed his expression to stay calm, neutral, as he tried to come up with a plan that didn't involve them being filled with bullets.

The pounding steps of the police officers running up the stairs grew closer—and closer.

He thought back to his father, the most infamous criminal in Zootopian history, a fox who had no remorse for how many police he killed, but always spared the hostages. He'd helped his father in some of those heist, robbing store after store, bank after bank with such masterful ease.

But whenever they were surrounded by police, with no way out but to be thrown behind prison bars, his father would use a hostage to make it out alive.

 _A hostage…_ The words echoed through his mind like a whisper in the darkest cave.

Azriel looked back at Judy, who was cradled in one of Nick's arms.

The police-mammals' heavy steps came to a sudden stop. They were right at the sixth-floor door, he realized.

Azriel's eyes met Nick's. "We're taking her as a hostage," was all he said, before snatching Judy away from him. He was careful to hold her gently as he cradled her in his arms the same way Nick had—

A pair of hulking rhinos slammed through the dull-colored, aged, metal door at the end of the hall, their shotguns raised and aimed right for them.

But they froze mid-action at the sight of—

Azriel glared at the rhinos as he pointed his pistol at Judy's head, his finger only a hairs-width away from the trigger. "Drop your weapons, or I'll blow her god-dammed head off." His voice was unfaltering, his cruel expression a solid wall of iron.

The rhino to the left stared Azriel down, those yellow eyes searching for hesitation, for weakness. But found none.

Judy let out a whimper in in his arms.

He clenched his jaw, the only sign of his concern. They needed to get her to safety, away from any gunfire or loud sounds—quickly. Because if one of those rhinos were to fire their shotguns… And with her hearing so sensitive, she would die of shock.

The rhino to the right of the hall scoffed. "If we let you go, you're just going to kill her anyway, _mutt._ "

Azriel nearly snarled at that last word: mutt. It was a highly offensive way to address any canine.

But he gave them a malicious smile, the smile of a scheming criminal—as his father had once been. "We spared the Chief, if you can believe that."

The rhinos exchanged quick looks at that.

Azriel went on, "But there's a bomb planted in this apartment, and it's powerful enough to bring this whole building to the ground. And maybe kill a few of your mammals posted outside."

The rhino to the right took a solid step forward, the barrel of his gun aimed straight at Azriel's head. "Then where's the detonator for this said bomb," he said, his tone as wry as his expression.

To Azriel's surprise, it was Nick who said, "You're as stupid as a timber wolf if you think we'd just carry the detonator on us, so you cops can steal it away. No, some buddies of ours posted miles away from here are listening, and the moment they hear gunfire, that bomb is going to go off."

"So, I suggest," Azriel said, his black lips curved into a smug grin, "that you officers make your decision wisely—

"Stop _fucking_ lying, fox." The rhino to the right spat. He took one step forward, then another and another and another, until the barrel of his shotgun was only a hair's breadth away from Azriel's face.

Azriel held his ground and looked fiercely into the rhino's yellow eyes, daring him, _tempting_ him, even.

Rookie—the rhino was a rookie officer, with his rash action and unrestrained anger, Azriel realized.

Then, the rhino to the left spoke, "James, stand down." An order, from an older, more experienced officer. The rookie's—or James's—partner.

James's glare didn't leave Azriel's as he said, "Sir, these foxes—these predators—are going to torment her until she begs for death, then kill her and leave her lacerated body to rot somewhere on the street." The rookie's finger trembled on the trigger. "I'm not letting them step foot out this building."

"James," the rhino to the left said, his deep voice bouncing through the narrow hall, "there are innocent mammals living in this apartment, we can't risk the chance that there might be an explosion if we kill these two foxes."

"Listen to your superior, rookie," Nick said in that cocky, smug tone.

James scowled at the red fox.

Nick smirked back.

"James," the older rhino said, lowly, demandingly, "do as I say: stand down now."

James pressed down on the trigger with just a small amount of force. His eyes remaining locked onto Azriel, his breathing heavy.

"James," the rhino called, his deep voice louder, nearly wailing.

There was still hatred and rage in James's eyes as he lowered his shotgun and backed away from Azriel.

Azriel let out a small breath.

But Nick continued to grin slyly at both rhinos, particularly at James.

James stared down at the chipped, wooden floor for a moment—

His eyes flicked up, and he looked at both foxes as he said, "I hope both of you burn in hell."

Azriel felt his heart ache at those loathing words, but he forced himself to smile wickedly.

If only… If only he could tell them why.

He abandoned the thought before it could manifest onto his expression.

James's partner, the older rhino, said, "if the Chief is alive, we'll alert the other officers that they are no predators in the building and leave without another word. Is it a deal?"

It was Nick who said, "if you promise not to track us down in any way, shape or form, then it's a deal."

James clicked his tongue, which earned a warning look from his superior.

But… They both agreed, both rhinos and both foxes. It was a deal.

* * *

Only the older rhino had went into Bogo's apartment room, to inspect the Chief's body, to make sure he was alive. James remained stationed in the hallway with Nick and Azriel, the rookie officer stood behind them, monitoring their every movement, every breath, his face a grim, near dreary shadow.

Minutes later, the older rhino stepped out of the apartment room with a dark, hostile look in his eyes.

Azriel tightened his grip on his pistol, just in case.

The older rhino said, "he's alive, but with two bullet wounds on his right shoulder and left thigh."

Azriel shrugged. "We had ours pistols aimed straight for his head and warned him not to try anything stupid. We were just defending ourselves. And apparently, our sudden attack caused this bunny to go into shock."

The older rhino's eyes widened as he studied the ocean blue hoodie Judy was wrapped in, realization suddenly dawned upon him.

"You predators are merciless savages," the rhino growled.

Nick tucked his paws into his pockets, and said, blandly, "why don't you stop wasting time stating the obvious facts and get help to Chief Bozo before he bleeds out."

The look the rhino officer gave Nick was a promise of death.

But Nick didn't so much as flinch.

But then…

There was the cocking of a shotgun.

And both foxes whirled around to see the barrel of James's weapon aimed right for them.

James gritted his teeth, his shotgun trembling in his grip. "I'm not letting you foxes torment her just for a petty grudge!"

His yellow, seething Azriel, and the older rhino didn't say a word as his partner went on, "you say that there's a bomb planted in this apartment, I'll call your bluff. Set it off right now!"

Azriel was silent, but not because of James's dare. No. The pounding of numerous paw-steps charging up the stairs…

His eyes flicked over to Nick, and the red fox met his gaze. _We're going to have to shoot these rhinos down. It's the only way we'll make it out of this alive._

Nick nodded, and his attention drifted back to James—and something feral glazed over his eyes as he did.

He pushed aside the thought.

Azriel twisted his body slightly, looking over his shoulder at the older rhino, a smile on his black lips. "So, you went alone in the apartment room to not only examine the Chief's injuries but to call for back up. I had no idea you rhinos could be so sly."

The rhino frowned at that mocking smile. "I've been a police officer long enough to know that you foxes are very convincing liars."

Azriel huffed a laugh. "That, we are."

His smile suddenly vanished, and he placed his moon-white finger on the trigger of his pistol—

He aimed his pistol up, the movement so fast and accurate that it would be easy to confuse him for a special-trained solider—

James's left eyes exploded in crimson, his body falling to the rickety floor. Dead.

The older rhino's eyes went wide with horror. "James—

It was Nick who shot the next bullet.

It sliced straight through the base of his throat.

The rhino fell to the floor, squirming and clawing at his throat like a fish out of water. His breath was rasped as he choked on his own blood, a puddle of deathly red forming beneath him.

Finally, he went still, his glassy eyes staring out to everything but nothing.

The smell of the rhinos' blood tainted the air within the hallway, and it made Azriel sway on his feet, his stomach churning with disgust.

Like his father, he killed without hesitation, without thinking how he could've spared the two rhino officers. And back then, when they were stuck at the blockade, he would've done the same thing to that ram officer.

A killer, that's what he was, what he'd always been, and it was what his father, who was so loving and caring to him and his mother, and yet so barbaric, had made him into.

 _The world has always seen us as liars and criminals, son. Don't waste your time in trying to be anything different, because it doesn't matter how much blood and sweat you shed, they'll always disrespect you and reject you. Do you understand me, Azriel?_ That was what his father had said to him, back then, when he was thirteen years old. The truth, the reality of the world they lived in, that was what his father had told him, in a harsh but loving way.

He'd tried to be something different, a fire fighter, to save lives instead of ending them. He'd tried to prove to his father that he could be more than just foxes, but…

He looked between the two hulking corpses sprawled out on the floor.

Perhaps he _was_ wasting his time.

"Where do we go?" It was Nick's fear-stricken voice that had Azriel snapping from his train of thought.

The numerous paw-steps grew louder as they neared the sixth floor.

"What do we go, Azriel?" Nick said again, albeit louder.

Pine-green eyes searched the hallway, looking for somewhere to hide.

Judy let out another whimper in his arms.

"Azriel—where!"

He looked Nick right in the eye, and said—

* * *

The police kicked open the metal door leading into the sixth floor, each of them storming in with their pistols or shotguns raised, shouting, "ZPD, you're outnumbered! Drop your weapons and get on your knees—

But they all froze as soon as they saw the hall was empty, save for the two rhino officers on the floor.

An officer, a zebra officer, checked the rhinos for their pulses. He cursed through his teeth, grief in his eyes. "They killed Mchorn and Greystone." He said, his light voice shaky.

An elephant officer—Officer Francine—let out an agonized gasp as she stared on at the two corpses before her. Officer Mchorn, one of her closes friends.

She said into her radio clipped to her shoulder. "W-we have—a tear fell out her eye—… We have two dead officers on the sixth floor, Mchorn and Greystone, please advise."

"There's an ambulance on the way now," the mammal on the other side of the line replied.

"The Chief is still breathing," one of the officers yelled from the apartment room. "But he's injured with two bullet wounds!"

"Sweep through the whole apartment building for the predators," Officer Francine roared. "Shoot on sight!"

The other officers obeyed, and searched every floor and every room.

* * *

Azriel carefully rode down the drain pipe on the corner of the apartment building, holding Judy as close to his chest as he could, the hood of his hoodie tucked over her head.

He prayed that thunder wouldn't rumble across the sky; he prayed that lightning wouldn't slice through the black, thick clouds smothering out the graceful beams of the sun.

He'd let Nick go down the drain pipe first, even though the red fox argued and argued that he should be the one to carry his mate.

Mate—Nick had called this bunny his _mate_. He nearly gawked at the word.

Prey and Predator—as mates, as live-long lovers.

But he brushed the thought aside.

He told Nick that his fur was bushier, more insulated, then his, and it would give Judy a better chance at surviving.

Nick reluctantly agreed. And that was that.

Water splashed beneath him as feet touched the cold concrete, the wind howling and the rain like needles on their faces.

Azriel handed Judy to Nick, and they sprinted out.

They didn't bother looking at the many police cars parked on the roads, their lights still flashing red and blue, that gleamed on their trenched fur and the roads and cars surrounding them.

And the sirens, thankfully, were hushed.

Nick's pine-green eyes snapped left and right, searching for any officers that may still be outside, hiding among the police cars. There were none.

And Nick sent up a prayer of thank you for that.

They made it to the car…

Nick ripped open the back door of the car, hopping in and curling himself around Judy the best way he could without his tail.

Azriel closed the back door for Nick and was in the driver seat seconds after, turning on the ignition.

"Hold on," was all the old fox said before he slammed on the gas.

The tires screeched on the wet, slick roads as they lurched the car forward.

And before any of the officers could realize the foxes where outside, Azriel was already speeding down the dark, roads, the growling of the engine being the only trace of their leaving.

* * *

 **I'm just going to warn you guys of this now, the next chapter will be very dark. I'll let you guys know what parts to skip. I don't really want to offend any of my readers.**

 **See you guys in chapter twenty!**


	20. His Dear Mother, Her Dear Friend

**_This chapter was supposed to be ten thousand words, but it took so long to write that I eventually decided to split it in half._**

 ** _So, enjoy!_**

* * *

 _10:01 am—The Outskirts of Bunny Burrow_

* * *

He'd fallen asleep the moment they drove through the Zootopian city limits.

He had fought hard not to, reminding himself that he needed to stay awake, stay alert, to protect Judy if they ran into another police blockade or a mob of predators outside the city. But the exhaustion of running and fighting… it ate away at whatever strength he had left.

So, he dreamed…

He lay in a moon-white bed, resting peacefully, his mind wandering as he stared up at the ceiling, with dancing figures and mountains carved into its surface—he was in the Palm Hotel, he realized. Then, his gaze went to the mammal laying right across from him. A bunny.

Judy…

He remembered, then… Running his paws over those gruesome scars on her belly; looking her in the eyes and telling her how lost and agonized he was inside. And admitting to her that she saved him from being inwardly alone for the rest of his life.

…He remembered falling in love with her.

He remembered making her whimper and moan as he kissed her and touched her in the most sensitive places.

She was so beautiful.

She was so perfect.

She was the beacon of light in the thick, smothering darkness. And if that light were to ever go out...

Suddenly, he was standing in his living room… Of his old house… His mother's house.

Light green couches on either side of the room, pictures of his mother and father hung up on the wall, and a window on the middle wall, soft, pure beams of light streaming through the white, silky curtains.

And right in the center of the whole living room—

His mother lay motionless on a rose-red carpet, her back turned to him. A pool of blood slowly forming beneath her neck, barely visible on the crimson carpet.

Nick took a step toward his mother. He remembered this, he knew what he was about to see, and yet…

"Mom…" The voice that came out his mouth wasn't his, but of a child. It wasn't until then that he noticed he felt much shorter.

"Mommy," his light voice cracked as he grew closer and closer to his mother with every forced step.

He felt his stomach turn when the foul scent of blood caught his sensitive nose. Tears streamed down his cheek.

 _Why did it have to be this way? Why did she have to leave me?_

He stood where his mother's blood had seeped into the carpet. It was warm beneath his feet, it made him sick. "Mommy, please." His entire body quivering.

He reached down to her with shaky paws and turned her on her back—

Nick's knees gave away under him.

Her ghostly eyes staring out to nothing, the gash in her throat still gushing out blood, the tears still staining the creamy auburn fur of her cheeks—

And the blood-stained knife still gripped in her left paw, outstretched on the carpet.

Nick could only stare down at her body, the world around him muted, non-existent.

He remembered all of this, the terrible realization that slowly settled in—the realization that his mother was gone forever.

That she gave up on life, gave up on him, and—

He broke down sobbing, burying the side of his face into her cold, blood-stained chest. He fisted the silky fabric of her violet shirt in his paws, claws piercing through it.

 _Why did it have to be this way?_ He asked silently in his head, over and over and over until the agony and the sorrow and the guilt began to physically hurt, and he bared his teeth, his paws pulling on the shirt so hard that it began to tear.

He heard himself utter out words that might've been an apology, an apology for simply being born, an apology for being a burden in her life for so long that it drove her to suicide.

He should've been a miscarriage, he should've died a long time ago. But… If he ever found the mammal who raped his mother, if he ever found the mammal who killed his father…

…There was no point in that now.

He continued to mourn over his mother's body for what felt like hours, days, until his eyes had gone dry of tears, and he could only whimper and sniffle like a little cub.

And when he finally decided to pick himself up, to look at his mother's body one more time…

It wasn't his mother's body that he saw, but… Judy's.

Nick sprang to his feet, falling back a step.

Cold, solid marble padded beneath his feet.

He jolted, looking in every direction, examining his surroundings.

He was standing in the lobby of the ZPD.

It was the stench of blood—a lot of blood—that drew his attention to the corpse lying before him.

His gaping mouth was trembling as he looked over her body.

Her throat had been completely ripped out, and her guts splattered all over the white marble floor, creating a pool of blood around her.

He glanced at her face, that beautiful face, which was stuck in an expression of lingering horror, and looked away.

"Judy…" It wasn't until he gasped her name that he felt the sensation of dried blood on his claws and the taste of flesh in his mouth.

 _No._

 _He had eaten—_

* * *

A paw gripped his shoulder, and Nick's eyes flew open.

He lurched up, his eyes going to the moon-white paw on his shoulder, and then to its owner.

Azriel gazed at him with an expressionless face, the back-seat door of the car wide open where he stood.

Freezing, ice-cold winds crept in through the open door and brushed against his fur, and the bare skin beneath. A shiver speared up his spine.

"Get up, we're here," was all the arctic fox said, before lifting his paw.

Nick didn't bother giving any gesture of understanding as the old fox walked off.

Instead, he looked down at Judy, who was still tucked in his arms.

A heavy gust a wind blew in through the open back-seat door, and even with the thick hoodie wrapped around her whole body, he felt Judy shiver in his arms.

Nick tightened his grip on her, a deep frown on his lips.

Vivid images of his dream flashed in his mind, images of Judy's mangled corpse sprawled out on the marble floor, a corpse _he_ had mangled—

 _No._

He would never hurt her—never again.

She was safe in his arms, and he'd make sure she recovered from her shock.

But a thought lingered in his mind, a whisper in the back of his head.

His mother committing suicide… It had been years since he had that dream— _years._ He'd come to terms with her death a long time ago, despite him being so young—not even midway through his teens. He used to wake up every night as a cub screaming for her, the sweat drenching his fur feeling like her blood.

But it wasn't a mystery to him as to why he the dream of his mother's suicide would come back to haunt him.

The memory, the scene of Judy being pinned down to that kitchen counter by the chief, who held his machete in the air, like an executioner would an axe, ready, anxious, to run the deadly-sharp edge of that blade into her skull...

He'd came so close to losing her today, Nick thought.

Seeing the look of absolute fear and despair in her violet orbs as she came seconds away from dying, the emotions that image had swirling within him—terror, devastation, rage—was the trigger for his dream.

He didn't allow the thoughts to linger any longer. He took in a breath, mastering himself.

Judy going into shock. Bellwether. Bogo. The Night Howler Serum. There was way more to worry about than his own personal problems.

So, Nick gingerly hoisted himself up from the dark leathery seats, careful not to further worsen Judy's condition with any rough movements, and stepped outside the car.

The moment his feet touched the rain-drenched, cold surface of the driveway, his eyes went to the bricked ranch house before him. It was a medium sized house, its bricks cracked and dented with age, and its wooden-tiled roof drab with years of sitting out in the glaring sun.

He walked along the driveway, only a few steps behind Azriel, examining his surroundings as he did.

The landscape around the house was what he'd expect from Bunny Burrow: sprawling fields going on for miles and miles with grass and a few trees. But it wasn't until he gazed out into those open fields that he noticed how dark it was outside.

He was sure it must've been around nine in the morning when they made it to Bogo's apartment (he gritted his teeth, doing his best not to let those gruesome images of what saw Bogo do to Judy slip into his mind) and the ride to Azriel's home couldn't have been no more than thirty to fifty minutes. Yet, the thick, caliginous clouds above made it appear as if it were midnight instead of nearing-noon.

Another heavy lightning storm, perhaps.

Nick followed Azriel onto a walkway attached to the left end of the driveway, which lead to an oak wood door—the front door.

Nick quickened his pace, catching up with the arctic fox, now walking shoulder-to-shoulder. He glanced at Azriel—

That oak-wood front door opened, creaking. And maybe it was because all the shit he'd been through for the past couple days, for Nick found himself tensing, holding Judy closer to his chest, his fur going on end.

His heart began to pump a few beats faster.

It could be a mammal that had broken into Azriel's home and had heard them pulling up into the driveway—

His dreadful thoughts stumbled at what he saw.

It was another arctic fox that poked its head out the door. A vixen, Nick saw, with those soft, feminine feature, and diamond blue eyes so stunning that, even with the ebony sky devouring the beaming rays of the sun, they seemed to glow with some faint, mystical light.

Those occult eyes scanned him from head to toe, and then to the sleeping bunny he held in his arms, confusion and concern and wonder flashed there.

But then… They froze on the old fox walking beside him. And Azriel suddenly went stiff with what could've been dreadful-guilt.

Slowly—so slowly, the female opened the front door wider and wider, reveling her slim, curvy form—so similar to Judy's save for the wider hips—and the deep purple nightgown she wore.

The nightgown—it had tears in it… Tears made by claws, which looked self-inflicting.

The female clamped a trembling paw over her muzzle. "Azriel," she breathed, and tears flowed out those alluring eyes, a sob slipping through her lips.

Suddenly, she sprinted forward sobbing and sobbing, her nightgown waving and streaking behind her with every rushed step. She threw her arms around Azriel's neck, burying her face into his bare, broad chest, whimpering.

The embrace had Azriel tripping back a few steps, but he balanced himself, and stroked the female's droopy ears, silent, a guilt-stricken frown on his lips.

"Where have you been," she choked out, voice cracking. "Where have you been? I was so worried, and I called so many times." She picked her head off his chest, and looked him straight in the eye, "when I heard about the riot… I thought…—her words stumbled on a sob…—I thought you were dead."

"Angela." Azriel pleaded, the name sounding heavy… Broken on his lips.

"I thought you were dead, Azriel!" She broke down into another bout of weeping, fisting the fur on his chest into her paws.

"I thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry," Azriel said lowly, and they were the only words he could say, Nick assumed, standing only a foot away from the whole scene, observing.

With his night vision, he gave himself a few seconds to scan over Angela. She was beautiful, with her fur being as white as moonlight shimmering on pure snow, and her slender form suggesting that she took care of her body and ate well, healthily. Perhaps a young todd would've mistaken her for being in her early twenty's. Mistaken, because Angela still showed signs of old age—signs that were barely noticeable, like the few strands of wilted fur on her neck and bare arms.

"I'm sorry." Azriel whispered again, soothingly, his own eyes tearing up—he clenched them shut. He continued to stroke her ears, gently, his other paw holding her close to him. "I'm so sorry, Angela. The riot… It started so suddenly, without warning. And when it did, I left my apartment room in such a hurry that I had completely forgotten my phone."

"If you had died, Azriel..." She let out a quivering breath onto his chest. "If you had died, I don't think I would be able to forgive—"

"Don't." Azriel said, cutting her off. "Don't, Angela, please."

She remained silent, save for her sniffling and uneven breath, but Nick saw her nod into Azriel's chest—her husband's chest, he realized.

He half-wondered if they had a son or daughter.

Azriel rested his chin on top of his wife's head. "I'm here now, and I'm alive. That's all that matters right now, okay?"

"Okay." She answered this time, voice shaky and weak.

There was a moment's worth of silence between the three foxes, the howling winds rustling their fur being the only sound heard.

And then, Nick spoke. "Angela." Azriel's head whipped in his direction, not to glare, but… There was still something—primitive gleaming there, in those pine-green eyes. Something alert—protective, perhaps. And Nick nearly flinched at it, the female's name now having a weird taste in his mouth.

But Angela smoothly lifted her head from Azriel's chest, sniffling, and met his gaze, still in her husband's arms.

He was just about to speak until he saw how strangely Angela gaze at him. A gaze that said he looked familiar to her in some way.

He ignored it. _Judy._ He told himself. _Judy still needs medical help, then you can worry about her look later._

"My—my mate, she's in shock." He said. And Angela's diamond eyes widened at that word: _mate_.

The arctic fox slipped out her husband's arms, moving toward Nick, her gaze on the resting bunny in the red fox's dark auburn arms. She ran a finger over Judy's forehead.

Nick went on saying, "Azriel told me that you worked at the Bunny Burrow Hospital."

Angela shook her head, still looking down at Judy. "No, not anymore. I used to, but they fired me just yesterday."

From behind her, Nick caught a glimpse of Azriel opening and closing his muzzle, contemplating whether he should ask why his wife was fired or not, perhaps.

Angela said, as if seeing the question on her husband's lips, "But that's not important right now." Her eyes flicked up to meet Nick's. "She won't last much longer out in this weather. Let's get her inside, quick."

Nick was the first one through the front door.

* * *

Azriel's house may have looked infirm and worn from the outside, but from the inside, it was as if the place had just been built.

The dark, wooden floors were polished to shining perfection, the creamy, white walls spotless of any blemishes, and the scent of a spicy incense had his sensitive nose twitching.

There was a chilling blast of wind as Azriel shut the front door, air-conditioned heat drowning out the cold. Nick gave himself a second to survey the house, taking in mind that Judy still needed medical help. There was a small office room on the left, with a bark-wood brown spinning chair sitting next to a small oak-wood work desk. And right before him was the living room, and it—

He swallowed a lump in his throat.

The living room was decorated so similarly to how his mom had it, back then.

He shook off the icy grip of that image, that memory, and followed Angela into the living room. The arctic fox gracefully sat in a leathery couch that was nearly an identical color to the floor, wrinkles splintered into its rough surface.

She held out her arms, a silent gesture. Nick's lips thinned, but he handed Judy to her, lightly, carefully, as if he were passing over a new born baby.

She took Judy in her arms and flipped off the thick hood of the hoodie, feeling the bunny's pulse.

Nick's jaw was unconsciously clenched as he watched Angela examine his mate, seeing if the shock had worsened or subsided. He prayed it was the former.

Then, unexpectedly, and to his horror, Angela began to gently slip the hoodie off Judy's torso.

He nearly lunched.

"Are you sure—"

"She'll be fine," Angela said, her tone strong—almost stern—but reassuring, too. "The shock isn't as bad as it thought it would be—or was. She doesn't need the hoodie.

Nick's fisted paws went slack at his sides, the tension in him settling like a passing storm. Though, his eyes remained sharp, and his expression calmed, relaxed.

Angela examined over Judy's body in a way that only a medically trained mammal would know how to, her paws gentle but thorough in checking for any potential injuries.

And she found one, while untucking Judy's floppy ears. Particularly the right one. A deep cut on the upper, outer edges of her ear, which had left small trails of dried blood before it scabbed over. "This was done by a blade," Angela said, her smooth voice filling in the silence of the living room. She ran her thumb over the scab, barely grazing it.

She'd probably came so close to losing an ear.

The guilt, the wrath, it raged within him like a heavy, violent storm, tearing him apart, making it harder and harder to keep his serene mask in place.

…He should've been there for her, he thought, over and over. He should've been there despite the risks.

But nothing could've prepared him when Angela steadily pulled back the edges of Judy's thin, white tank top, revealing her bare belly, and those claw-marked scars.

The skin of the scar tissue was rough and pink and visible, so, so visible, with the whiteness of her underbelly fur. As if someone had branded her.

Angela stared and stared at the claw marks on the bunny's belly and ran the tips of her fingers over the tissue, her lips forming a thin line. She said, "Nicholas P. Wilde—you're pretty infamous on the news."

Nick hung his head low, his eyes looking down at the wooden floors. He waited for the insults and the curses, and the look of disgust she would give him. But…

"When I saw you on the news, when I saw the footage of you clawing her, there was a sense of happiness and shock and shame within me." Angela gave her husband a look that might've said _let me talk to him alone for a minute._ Then, her face hardened with anger and hurt and—betrayal. _I'll deal with you later._

There was the soft patter of footsteps as Azriel walked out the living room, through an archway, and into another room.

Angela went on, and said in a soft, motherly tone, "you probably don't remember me, Nick." She looked down at the bunny she held in her arms, and even though her eyes were bloodshot from sobbing into her husband's chest only a few moments before, there still was such care in them. "You were but a year or two old when I held you in my arms, babysitting you whenever I could during my years in medical school, to help your mother out as she worked and worked for all hours of the day."

That mask of calm he fought so hard to stay in place shattered, and he thought about smirking, laughing, even. Not once in his life did his mother ever mention an arctic fox named Angela babysitting him when he was two years old. Still… Something ancient and wise told him to remain silent and listen. But the question came out faster than he could stop it, "you knew my mother?" He cocked his head, that mask of boredom returning, but he allowed himself to show a bit of interest.

"Yes, I knew your mother—Amanda Wilde." She answered, her eyes glazing over, a look of nostalgia on her beautiful face. "The both of us were best friends through high school, inseparable, really. But all of that changed—changed so terrifyingly quickly—when she was raped that day, and her husband mysteriously died. We…" Her eyes left his, flicking down to the floor, and her throat bobbing. She continued with a quivering breath, "after that, she just stopped talking to me."

Agony pulled at something deep within him, and tears burned at his pine-green. He blinked them away.

"I tried to give your mother money as she worked three jobs. She'd refused every time. If I mailed it to her she would send it back, and if I came to her doorstep to hand it to her, she would store it away and never touch it. I eventually stopped trying to give her money she wouldn't take, so I called every day, asking and asking if she needed my help—every day." Her voice cracked with that last part.

"She finally let me lend her some help by babysitting you, and I did the best job I could in doing it. But when you turned four… Every form of communication I had with her—gone. I would've thought the both of you had been murdered by some gang if she hadn't come to my doorstep one morning and said I couldn't baby sit you anymore. The moment she'd said that, I'd gotten so angry with her, and I demanded a reason why. She refused to give one. We argued fiercely, and it eventually ended with us clawing and biting each other.

"I never called or visited her for eight years, hadn't dared to after our brutal fight, that had left physical and mental scars on us both. But I was so worried about you, with your mother always working and your father dead. You had no one in your life to parent you, love you, or teach you the ways of life. For the longest I thought about taking you from her and raising you myself, so you wouldn't be so damaged by the world when you grew up. But… I knew it would be wrong…. To take a mother's child, no matter the situation."

Her teeth flashed, a look of sorrow and guilt in her diamond blue eyes. "Then, one day, when I finally gathered the courage to face Amanda—after _eight years_ —to tell her that you needed someone to take care of you when she wasn't there…" Her lips quivered into a frown, her eyes moist. "When I made it to her house, when I walked in through the front door and called out for her… When I found her dead body on the living room floor… I was… I hated her so much, and I hated myself too, for being such a coward.

"I know." Nick said, cutting her off, his tone woven with sympathy, pain—and understanding. "I know." He said again, his throat bobbing as he held back that heavy wave of emotion.

It broke him, it broke him beyond repair to see his mother's corpse on that rose-red carpet. And he was sure it broke her too, to this day.

Her gaze remaining on him, Angela stood up from the couch. Nick yielded a step for her, hissing as his tail shifted with the movement.

They stood there, staring into each other's eyes for a short, silent moment. He towered over her by quarter of a foot. And Angela, standing only inches apart from him, had to tilt her head up to look Nick in his pine-green orbs.

She placed a gentle paw on his cheek. "I've been searching for you for so long." A single tear slid down her already-damp cheek. "And I'm sorry, Nick, that I wasn't there for you or your mom because of my own cowardice to face her."

Nick took a step back from her, his eyes wide with fear and his ears flat against his head. He was shaking, the blood running through his veins feeling like pure ice.

Those words hit their mark, and they hit it deep—an old wound reopening, bleeding out. And for some reason, he didn't know why. Maybe it was because he'd waited all his life to hear those words: an apology for all the agony he had to live through growing up? And yet, he dreaded hearing it, too. Maybe it was because there was anger nestled somewhere in the darkest crevices of his mind, anger directed at his mom for being so selfish as to not tell him about his forgotten babysitter? Maybe, but he didn't know.

Nick took in a breath, draining the fear of his past trauma, wiping those images of his mother's bloodied corpse from his mind, calming his terror-stricken expression. He shook his head, his breathing heavy. "Forget it," he said quietly. It was too much.

Angela's paw fell slack at her side as she looked up at him, and he could've sworn he heard her heart thud violently in her chest for a single beat, shattering.

"I think it would be best if you cared to my mate in case her shock spikes up." Again, Angela seemed to perk up at that word, at the strangeness of it. _Mate._

But she nodded anyway. "Yeah."

Azriel must've listened in on their whole conversation from whatever room he was in, because he walked through the archway and said, "You're tail, Nick—did you forget how badly it's fractured?" He looked to his wife. "It's been that way for a long while."

Angela outright glared at him, her lips contorted into an almost-visible snarl. "I'll see to it, _Azriel._ "

Azriel flinched back at the honed venom in her tone. And the expression on her face as she continued to stare him down… Nick had to push down the urge to grab Judy from her arms.

The vixen beckoned to Nick with her chin, saying, "come with me." The words were soft and caring, still, there was anger in her tone, calm, leashed, though. Controlled. It made the fur on the back of his neck stand up. Angela's silent wraith. It was terrifying.

She stalked through the archway, passing her husband without so much as a glance.

But Azriel's eyes followed his wife as she walked into a short hallway with two doors on either side. And one right at the end. His posture began to slouch, as if realizing the impact of his mistake, and how much it he'd hurt his wife.

Nick only gave the old fox a look of pity as he followed Angela into the hall.

Azriel didn't bother to acknowledge him, though, as he slid his paws into the pockets of his black jeans and walked into another hall at the opposite side of the large living room, his head lowered.

* * *

Angela had lead them into the left flanking door at the end of the hall, flicking on a light as she entered the fairly-sized room. His attention instantly went to the queen-sized bed beside him, the covers a deep, ocean blue.

The guest room, he realized, compared to the fanciness of the living room—and probably the rest of the house—was merely a simple set up.

On both sides of the bed were oak-wood nightstands with white shaded lamps perched atop. And near the foot of the bed pressed against the wall was a dresser with a small flat screen and table top placed on it.

"Could you pull back the covers for me, Nick," Angela said. Her voice was a gentle caress to the throbbing pain in his heart.

He pulled back the covers, the fabric thick and silky in his paws.

He turned to Angela, who was standing behind him, and outstretched his arms to her. "Let me see her," he said. It was an effort to look into those crystalline eyes. To know that he wasn't alone when he thought he was, to know that there was someone out there that would show him love… and yet, his mother never told him of Angela. Why?

Did she want him to suffer for the rest of his life, to wander alone and forsaken? Did she want him to die on the brutal streets—

That's enough, he told himself. Save it for later.

The vixen placed Judy in his waiting arms. And Nick stared down at her, his mate, the love of his life, as she breathed evenly, the deathly cold in her body already gone, replaced with a tranquil warmth.

He smiled softly, his eyes lingering on her for a fleeting moment before he lowered her on the bed and tucked her under the covers, propping her head on the cool, chubby pillow. And even though Angela was standing behind him, spectating the moment, Nick placed a kissed on her cheek, his smile widening. "I love you," he whispered out, barely even a sound.

She moaned lightly and shifted in the bed, her only reply.

Nick stood to his full height, that smile fading as he faced the artic fox. "Is there anything else she needs?"

Angela was still gazing down at Judy as she said. "No. All she needs now is rest, and when she wakes up, she'll be fine."

Nick felt something in his chest loosen as he let out a relieved breath.

Then…

Angela said, lowly, cautiously, "you love her, Nick?"

Silence—Judy's even breathe being the only sound heard.

Nick's gaze was a cold, marble wall. "Yes, I do. Is there a problem with that?" He took a step sideways, putting himself between the vixen and his mate.

She may have claimed to have known his mother, but that didn't mean he should fully trust her—especially where Judy was concerned.

She shook her head. "No, what I'm saying is that there aren't many predator-prey relationships out in the world. And predators tend to not like it when their kin start to intimately mingle with prey."

Nick's black lips formed a thin line. "I know," he said. It was a thought that had gnawed at his mind ever since he confessed his love to Judy. If they put Bellwether and Bogo and whatever other bastard who was working for the sheep behind bars, and restored peace between predator and prey, how would he and Judy keep their relationship hidden?

There'd been incidents where predators had broken into a predator-prey couple's house and brutally kill the prey, sparing the predator. But sometimes, they'd kill both.

Judy already had every predator in Zootopia out for her head—and perhaps in Bunny Burrow, too. If word of her being in a relationship with a predator was to spread, it would give them even more reason to kill her.

And Angela must've seen the fear looming in his eyes, because she said, "Judy… she may be a cop, but she's still a bunny. Bunnies can only take so much stress before they fall into a sudden shock. Believe me, I've seen it happen to many of my bunny patients, and sometimes even my coworkers would even go into shock because of a constant thrumming of negative emotions." Her eyes flicked down to Judy's sleeping form, something like worry there, for his mate and him.

"ZNN reported her being caught in the Zootopian Hospital riot; I could only imagine, she must've been terrified during the whole ordeal."

Nick stared down at the floor, his eyes glazed over. "She was," he nearly whispered out. "The predator's enraged shouting, the fire, the gun shots and the stench of blood, it was all too much, even for me. But she—he couldn't help but glance back at her, to admire her—she managed to mask her fear, and not let it overcome her. Still, she came very close to going into shock."

A smile bloomed on his lips. "Judy may be a bunny, but she's strong and brave and determined, and yet so kind and compassionate. She's unlike any bunny I've ever known… and I love her for that, so much."

The smile Angela gave him was warm, loving—and familiar. "I fell in love with Azriel for that similar reason. But…" That smile vanished, replaced with a look of hurt and sadness.

Nick couldn't help but glance down at the claw-marked tears in her nightgown. Self inflicted. _She must've been in so much anguish, thinking her husband was dead._

He almost commented on those tears, but something old and wise told him to keep his muzzle shut.

Angela shook her head, as if banishing the thought from her mind. She said, "the bathroom is in the door right across from your room since I'm guessing you're going to stay with her. And you're tail… once she wakes up, I'll check it, okay."

"Thank you," Nick said, "for helping us. I know predator-prey relationships offend some, so it's why I'm grateful for you."

She only nodded as a repley and made her way to the door. But then, she paused mid-step.

Slowly, she faced Nick, her eyes moist. "I loved your mother dearly as a friend, Nick, and I would've done anything for her in a time of need. But I made wrong choices and abandoned her out of anger and fear. Don't repeat my mistake." She swallowed a lump in her throat, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Take care of her, Nick."

She left the room before he could say anything else.

* * *

 _"_ _Ma'am, you saw the news?"_

 _"_ _You know what to do, Doug. I already warned that bunny once with the Short-Term Night Serum to her fox friend, and she made her choice."_

 _"_ _What do you want me to do, Ma'am?"_

 _"_ _I want you to break her, Doug. I want you to track her down and break her."_

 _"_ _I think I know exactly how to do that."_

 _"_ _Oh."_

 _"_ _I'm gonna need some things."_

* * *

 _ **You know, I really try to post these chapters as soon as possible, but I never do. I think it's just something you guys are going to have to accept, something I'm going to have to accept: I'm just not going to be able to put the chapters out as fast as I want to.**_

 _ **I know its hard to stay with a story that posts chapter every couple of**_ **months, _but I don't aspect you too, either. But to those of you who are staying with my story, thank you. It means a lot to me, really._**


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